The Vagary of Angels
by Anlynne
Summary: Persephone used him. Maybe his fatal flaw wasn't his loyalty and love, maybe it was not thinking anything through. It had never cost him as much as it had then...
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

The life of a demigod was never easy, but it was much harder when you accepted a cell phone call from your mother.

Percy's mother, Sally, was honeymooning with her new husband. For the first time, Percy had the apartment to himself - not that he wasn't used to being on his own. He had a great mother, but demigod life was dangerous and his summer's were spent at Camp Half-Blood. Even during the school year he was usually out fighting monsters, normally after blowing up his new school because a few classmates and teachers were monsters in disguise or they took a field trip to an aquarium. Luckily, Percy had graduated and didn't need to worry about schools. Blood-thirsty teenagers... Well, weren't all teenagers that way?

Nevertheless, things had been calm for him since him and his friends won the war against Gaia. Monsters rarely attacked, but it didn't matter when cell phones were notorious for sending out a beckoning to every one nearby. Sure, he loved hearing from his mother, hearing how happy she was and that plenty of money had been left for food and rent, but he had not been in the mood to see a harpy fly off with his phone.

Down a park, leaping over picnic's and dodging remote-controlled airplanes, he chased the wretched bird, jumping and waving Riptide (his sword) at its legs, but off it went, higher and higher, not interested in devouring the demigod. At least not right then... Perhaps it thought it got a piece of him...

"Bad day, Percy?"

Nico di Angelo appeared out from the shadow of a tree. For a moment it looked like he was made out of the shadows, it clinging to his legs like a spider web until it snapped free. It didn't change the sheer aura of Nico who was made from darkness and death.

He had grown taller since Percy had last seen him, although he was still a couple of inches shorter than him. His black hair was curly around his sickly pale skin, but his black eyes had more of a playful glint in them. His skeleton fingers caressed his Stygian sword at his side. It would have been menacing to anyone else, but Percy had seen Nico as a child and he had seen what he had become. The veil had dropped for a moment in time in midst of bloodshed and destruction, and he wasn't sure that he could see him the same way again.

The last time they were together they had been saving the world (again). Nico was as pale and thin as the skeletons he could produce from the earth, his visage gaunt and horrifying, as serious as broken glass and volcanoes, and his only concern was for the few family he had, for the allegiances he tenuously made. He saved Annabeth's life almost losing his own, a scene that Percy only wanted to forget, but he dreamt of every night. He never saw Nico the same way again.

"Yeah, a bit of a bad day," he grunted.

Nico peered after the bird minimizing in size, his eyes squinting in the bright and cool day. Percy wondered how long he had been on the surface or had he been in the Underworld the entire time.

"I'm not Jason," Nico said, "but we can try to catch up to it."

"Shadow travel," Percy guessed, tasting the sickness on his tongue. Last time he had gone he thought he was going to throw up.

"No better way to travel." Nico didn't crack a smile. No matter how light his spirits had become after the war, his smiles were so rare Percy hadn't seen it since their very first meeting. Back then Nico hadn't known whose child he was, what he was capable of. He had been innocent and talkative, and that ended when his sister died, when he learned his dad was lord of the Underworld.

Yet, there weren't many people Percy trusted more. He held out his hand.

Despite that he had offered to take him, Nico was apparently hesitant to touch him. There was a disgusted look on his face, but he grabbed him fast, his pallid and thin fingers curling around his wrist. Percy couldn't question the odd behavior (which was practically normal for Nico), his body lurched forward into darkness. All that connected him to anything real was Nico's hand which suddenly tightened, bruising him. Percy never realized how strong he was.

The darkness disappeared, like someone had turned on a light to the world. The sun was blinding, and Percy cinched his eyes shut, his feet losing purchase on the ground, his stomach lurching up into his throat the way it only could do with the recognition that they were falling. Forcing open his eyes, he saw the ocean's lapping waves reaching for them. Percy let out a sigh of relief when they hit the water.

A cool ability that the son of Poseidon had was that he could lend the ability to breathe underwater to others, as long as they were touching him, but Nico was thrashing, kicking, having what looked to be a panic attack. They were connected by the tips of their fingers.

"I've got you," Percy said, his voice lost to the younger boy who was furiously trying to swim to the surface. He was failing.

A wave pushed them back against the siding of a cliff, and Nico's hand slipped from his. He was sinking lower, his energy and oxygen fading, all the while the waves were separating them, dragging them out of each other's reach.

Percy found questionable footing on the slick rocks and kicked off, grabbing Nico by the crook of his arm, the act throwing him against his chest. With great effort to keep a hold of the wild boy he formed an air bubble around them. Only, when he was done, Nico was no longer moving, he was slumped forward like a rag doll, his head lolling to the side.

"Nico," he gasped, holding his head up, he pressed his fingers under his nose. He wasn't breathing.

Concentrating, he swirled the waters under their feet, bending the ocean to his will. He stared up, narrowing his vision past the rays of the sun. Without wasting anymore time, he had the waters shoot their bubble toward the sky, over the edge of the cliff.

They landed hard, but he didn't let go of Nico.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Percy never believed he'd have to give CPR to a drowning victim so he hadn't learned how, but the instructions appeared in his head, the way that he could see coordinates on the sea, and how he could hear horses chatter. Nevertheless, he never felt so useless and mundane as when he was compressing Nico's chest over and over, praying to his father.

_Don't let him drown. Do you hear me, dad? Please..._

An animalistic growl escaped his lips. "Come on, Nico."

Nico sputtered back to the living world, the sea water flooding out of his lungs. Percy rolled him over and banged furiously on his back until Nico looked up at him through the parts in his hair, their eyes meeting for one second, a second that was seared into Percy's brain. He wasn't sure why. Something was there, the way Nico looked at him, past the fright, a moment of weakness. Then, Nico slumped to the ground, his eyes closed, his chest rising and descending softly.

_Thank Gods, thank Gods, thank Gods..._

He promised to burn his dad a big steak with sauce. The good sauce.

Percy lifted him in his arms. It was like lifting a sack of wet potatoes, considerably light and the water staining his clothes. They must have been a sight but all the way to Sally's apartment no one questioned him. He wasn't sure if it was New Yorkers or the Mist, but he was grateful. For all he knew they thought he really was carrying a sack of potatoes.

Outside of the door Percy shifted Nico over his shoulder to unlock the latch. Business must have been good, because Sally decorated the living room in deep blues and flowers. His room, though, was left untouched. It was simple, a bed, a dresser, photos of him and other demigods most of them containing Annabeth, Grover and Tyson. There were plenty of weapons around, most were hidden under the bed.

He laid Nico on the mattress, wrapping the blanket around him, his hand hovering over his cheek, debating before touching. Quickly, he pushed the curls off his forehead, his fingertips lingering by his temple, resting this thumb on the arch of his brow. It was as close as he dared get and it was already becoming hard to breathe. He felt like _he_ was drowning, his own chest tightening.

Percy stared at him in the way he wanted to for so long. In the past, every time that he had looked to Nico, Nico was looking back at him, and it set him on edge. No one could argue that Nico was not creepy - after all, he was the son of Hades... But there was something more...

Percy had a shaky alliance with him for a long time, all beginning when Percy failed to protect his sister. Then, when Hera had taken Percy's memory and he had met Nico for seemingly the first time, his life shifted to something he couldn't define. He was still himself, still the son of Poseidon, but his feelings for Nico were different. Maybe he was different. Maybe memories were all that made a person.

When his memory returned and he fully remembered Annabeth, he assured himself that he made it up. It wasn't real. It was make-believe. He wasn't a Roman, he didn't have feelings for Nico. He had another life and another version of himself.

Life continued on. Nico was taken, almost died, and something inside of that young boy broke. His once cold eyes had snapped and darkened like broken glass from a bulb. He was harsher and more withdrawn. Percy was set at the start once more with a different Nico. The walls had grown taller and Percy didn't know how to get back in. He was farther away and he didn't want it to hurt as much as it did.

He didn't know how to tell Nico that his kidnapping was one of the worst times in his life. He didn't know how to express the horror he felt, how he would have done nearly anything to get him back. He almost did, when Nico left with Reyna. The words died inside of him.

Things changed once more when Nico came back after saving the camp, when he rescued Annabeth and it all unraveled. Secrets were poured out like a noxious gas and it poisoned everyone. Annabeth was hurt, Percy was exposed, and Nico disappeared as if nothing had happened.

There they were, Nico lying soaked and unconscious in his bed. Percy drunk him in, how peaceful he appeared at that moment. The personal darkness of his lifted, but what he was that was woven into his blood was still there. To Percy, it wasn't so bad. It was like the scent of home. It brought comfort. It was okay if Nico was a little broken. So was Percy.

Nico shifted, his face contorted in pain, and then he relaxed. Percy smiled. He was beautiful. Percy never said it out loud, but it was true. He was the most beautiful man he had ever met.

He forced himself to leave. He went to the kitchen and brought out a thick and nicely marbled steak and a can of noodle soup, one for the god of the sea and one for when Nico woke.

Time and boredom found him on the couch, the coffee table covered with with tiny jigsaw puzzle pieces he was putting together. His ADHD wouldn't have him doing something such as a puzzle, but his tiredness won over, but he was anxious enough that he needed to keep busy. In the passing hours each part gave itself to the landscape of the sea, of the various shades of blue and green as his knee bounced and his fingers drummed the table.

A movement out of his peripheral vision caught Nico slinking in like a cat on a hunt. If Percy hadn't been waiting for him, he wouldn't have noticed that he was there. He pretended that he hadn't, though, hoping that he hadn't somehow knew that Percy had been staring at him while he slept. It was weird enough as it was.

"Percy."

He looked up, turning a jigsaw piece between his fingers. "You need a shower," he stated.

Nico took stock of his clothes, damp and clinging to his skin. He picked at them, but Percy saw nothing that he had to be ashamed of. Nico had filled out nicely, his arms and shoulders toned. Belatedly he was aware that he was gawking.

Percy flung the piece on the table and went to his bedroom, getting out a pair of blue jeans and a spare Camp Half-Blood t-shirt. He handed them to Nico and pointed down the hall, "the shower is right there."

There was silence and stillness, and Percy assumed Nico was going to be annoying and refuse, but he took the clothes, obviously careful not to touch Percy. He didn't give him a sparing glance when he shuffled to the bathroom.

Percy headed to the kitchen and heated the soup. He set the bowl on the edge of the coffee table and to distract himself that Nico was in the apartment, taking a shower, he focused on the jigsaw. More often than not he found himself turning the same puzzle piece in his hand over and over staring at the painted landscape. His knee continued to bounce up and down.

This time, Percy didn't stop himself, when Nico returned he looked up. It took every bit of self-control he had not to smile. His clothes hung of Nico's small frame, the curve of his collarbones showing above the neckline of the orange shirt, and the legs of the jeans were rolled up several times.

"Want some soup," he offered.

Nico shifted from foot to foot. "Um, I don't know."

"You've never had it?"

Nico didn't answer.

He remembered when Nico showed up outside of his window and spotted a slice of blue cake his mother made for his birthday. When Percy learned that Nico never had cake - much less a birthday party, he invited him in to join him. It was the best birthday Percy had, all because he was able to spend it with him. It seemed like another lifetime when they were different people.

After the war, Nico disappeared from everyone except his sister. If it wasn't for Hazel none of them would know what became of him. It pained Percy more than he was willing to admit. He was almost angry that Nico showed up after three years and said nothing of his vanishing act.

"Where have you been?"

"Here and there," Nico answered vaguely.

Percy hated that such simple questions were impossible for the son of Hades to answer. It was as though any personal reply would be giving away a piece of himself. Then what would there be? For Nico, maybe nothing. Percy tried to keep that in mind, to not be affronted.

"You don't have to do this," Nico spoke up.

"Do what?"

He gestured toward the bowl. "Take care of me."

Percy's first thought to respond with was, "_then who will_?" But he didn't say that, because not only did Nico clearly didn't need to be taken care of, he already held the opinion that the world hated him.

"I don't mind," he said.

"I don't want to be in the way. Annabeth is around here somewhere, right?"

He wasn't sure where that came from. "She's in California."

"Oh. I just thought with everything that happened that..." Nico let his clumsy sentence falter, clearly uncomfortable with the line of conversation they were in. A blush crept on his cheeks, something Percy hadn't seen in so long he had thought Nico incapable of it; that somehow in his time in Tartarus made him into a corpse. Nico was still alive, still that boy he once was, and that sent a renewed vigor through Percy.

"We're not together." It seemed important to say at the time.

"Oh," Nico said mouthed. "Why?"

Percy's hand flattened on the ocean scene, feeling the inward curves against his palm. He almost didn't say it, but he hated that Nico was playing dumb. It was low. After all they had been through he deserved Nico to be straight with him.

"You know why. Annabeth told me what happened in Greece."

Whatever defense he had set, it came crashing down. Nico took a step back, shaking his head. "No. It's not what you think - it's..."

The picture of the tail of a fish was becoming bent in his fist. "Morpheus had Annabeth and you saved her. She saw your dreams. She saw everything."

He balled his hands at his sides, his eyes dangerously dark, like the pits of Tartarus. Percy tried not to flinch, to let old memories leak into the forefront of his brain, he focused on the real and current fear that the dead would be summoned. Could they be summoned on a fifth floor of an apartment building? Percy would never know the answer because none appeared. Nico had gained impressive control of his powers, or maybe he had buried his emotions so deep that little effected him. Nevertheless nothing bad happened. At least not yet.

"Morpheus can trick you -" Nico started.

Percy pitched the piece down and drew closer to him. The smell of the ocean-scented shampoo and wash hit him, and he put more distance between them. "Tell me Annabeth lied to me and I won't mention it again."

They both knew Annabeth wouldn't lie to Percy. It was more of a threat than a kind offer.

"Give me my soup, Percy."

He made the decision not to fight that day; he let Nico pass by him. He watched as he gathered the soup in his lap, his vision far away and sad. Percy sat next to him and tried to fix the poor fish's tail.

"By the way," Nico said, "I've had soup before."

Percy smiled. "Good. Soup is nice."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Somehow, against all odds, Percy managed to talk Nico into staying. It wasn't that difficult as Nico obviously hadn't recovered from shadow-traveling and drowning - not to mention that a couch in a nice apartment had to be preferable to wherever it was Nico went to sleep. Certainly it had to be better than the Underworld.

Percy laid out a pillow and a couple of blankets (he figured Nico's body temperature was equal to a river in winter). Nico sat, his shoulders hunched to his ears, staring at his pillow as if he had never seen anything like it.

"You can take my bed if -"

"No."

"Okay." He made a move to leave, happy to exit the awkward tension for the night when Nico spoke again.

"Why did Annabeth leave?"

Percy swallowed, the tension rising. "Um... It's not important."

"Was it because of me?"

Sighing, he turned to him, seeing the vulnerability, the little boy he had once been. It was a peek within and soon it would snap shut. It was his chance to make sure that Nico knew he was safe with him.

"No. No, Nico, it was me."

"Do you... You know... Love her?"

The memory of his relationship's end with Annabeth was fresh in his mind, bringing truths out that Percy was not willing to admit, not just then. Nico going to Annabeth's rescue had made her realize what a mess Percy was. He lied to everyone and worse yet, he had lied to himself.

"Maybe not as much as I thought."

Forlornly, Nico nodded.

"Can you answer something for me now?"

Nico stopped nodding.

"Where do you normally sleep?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Anywhere."

"Look... You have a place here, alright? You can have my bed. My mom won't mind."

Nico slapped his pillow and laid down, an obvious sign that their conversation was over. Percy left him to sleep and closed himself in his room, throwing himself on his bed, his hands behind his head and stared at the unremarkable ceiling.

Sleep evaded and his heart wouldn't stop fluttering. Over the hours he shifted uncomfortably, facing his window where Nico appeared long ago. That was truly where they started. Now they were on a thin string about to break. It could be the end, and Percy was grasping straws to keep him in his life.

It was yet another thing he was never able to say: He couldn't lose Nico.

Some time in the night Percy drifted off...

_Apollo's temple crumbled, the stones cracking and rolling under Giant's and Titan's feet. The ground rumbled, steam rolling up from fissures in the earth._

_Percy and Piper fought a rather large giant wearing traditional white and gold garb, but one made for women as opposed to men, but he obviously had gone to a lot of trouble to dress for the occasion._

_They cut along his ankles and shins, but it was hardly slowing him up. They were out of breath, covered in grime, sporting cuts all over their body. Percy spotted streaks on Piper's cheeks, but they weren't ones of sadness but of anger and exhaustion. She stabbed at the giant's toes, screaming at no one._

_Jason stood among fiery bushes, the sky above them gray and black, white flashes of lightening striking the ground, the wind furious, tearing at their clothes. It was doing the most damage, and that was saying a lot, because they were terribly outnumbered. Gaia had kept safe the remaining monsters that she freed from Tartarus, before it was closed, and they must have all gathered for the show._

_The giant lifted it's fungus-covered-foot, Percy and Piper rolling away as it pounded hard on the ground. Dust swirled over them. Percy got to his tired feet, his body on the verge of giving up. He looked over at Piper sprawled out on the ground._

"_Piper," he called, falling and crawling to her still body. He grasped her shoulder, shaking it. "Piper!"_

_A wave of sleepiness nearly overtook him. Coming from the brown dust was a tall figure with eyes of white, his body hard to focus on, like an photo under water. Morpheus._

_Annabeth ran forward, but she stopped short, staggering. Morpheus gave a twisted grin, taking in his grasp her wrist. She collapsed. He let her go, leaving her as lifeless as Piper._

_Percy staggered to his feet, but through his blurry vision saw Nico was running full speed, putting himself between the god and her body. His skeleton army behind him continued fighting the giants and cyclopes leaving him on his own._

_Morpheus__ waved his hand in front of Nico's face, and his knees buckled, but he slashed at the God who only disappeared and appeared behind them, stealing their arms. He grinned as Annabeth screamed in her sleep, a scream like the one when she had swallowed fire from Tartarus and Percy just knew that was what she was dreaming of. Tartarus._

_Percy tried standing, but fell on all fours. He tried crawling, but he felt like he was falling into some horrible dream. Nothing was real._

_Nico's eyes rolled upward and he fell, too, mouthing something incoherent. Annabeth went startlingly quiet, tears escaping from the crinkles of her eyes. Nico was crying too, fat tears falling fast._

_A skeleton came forth, charging at the God. He vanished before the skeleton reached him._

_Percy sat up, feeling Piper's hands around his arm, pulling him to his feet. He didn't stop staring at Annabeth and Nico, lying motionless on the ground, the tears continuing to wash their faces._

_Annabeth blinked, curling herself around the son of Hades, whispering to him._

_The dream of a memory faded, and Percy was standing in Annabeth's dining room. Confused, he looked around at the high vault ceilings, the thick windows overlooking a city in the distance, the sun peeping over the flat buildings. __The long glass table contained small greasy hand prints of her twin brothers, but they or her step-mother were nowhere in sight, it was only Annabeth and her father._

_Percy guessed that it must have been part of the promise her father made in an attempt at developing a relationship with his daughter, but it was not going well, she stabbed her peas angrily as her father spoke harshly to her. Percy couldn't imagine what Annabeth could have done wrong. She was as close as perfection got._

_"Explain this to me," he told her._

_"There's nothing to explain, dad."_

_"I liked that boy. I thought you did, too."_

_"I did, dad – I do."_

_"Then what happened? He seemed like such a nice young man."_

_Annabeth pursed her lips, flinging her flaxen braid over her shoulder. Percy remembered that look, and he considered her father brave for continuing the interrogation._

_"Annabeth, I understand you not telling me everything. You don't want to scare me, but you have to give me something. Are you okay?"_

_"I'm fine, dad. It's complicated."_

_"Nothing is ever as complicated as we think it is."_

_Tears shone in her brilliant gray eyes as haunting as an owl's. "He's in love with someone else."_

_Mr. Chase sat back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. "I never liked that boy."_

_Annabeth gave a hint of a smile. "He deserves to be happy."_

_"So do you."_

_"I will be. He tried, dad, but I saw it in his face. I can't keep him when he's not mine to begin with."_

_The smile was fake and it wasn't enough to stop the ache that Percy felt in his gut. It pulled him toward Annabeth and he reached for her hand, but it was a dream, and it all melted into nothingness._

_The scene became hazy. "No, I'm not ready. Annabeth..." But when did his dreams ever listen?_

_Another scene took its place. It was a beach, stones marring the sand. In the lapping waves there was a woman, her pink dress flowing in the wind. Over her shoulder she flashed her pearly whites, and his heart nearly stopped. It was a goddess as frightening as Ares._

_Percy approached her, his tennis shoes soaking in the waves. He tried to keep them dry but it wasn't working. Maybe because it was a dream?_

_"Didn't I tell you," she cooed._

_"What?"_

_"That I would make your love life interesting, of course."_

_"It was interesting enough, thanks." He wasn't feeling kind toward Aphrodite, not after his breakup with Annabeth, his affection toward Nico. Aphrodite was the last goddess he wanted to dream of._

_"Oh," she sighed, her hair that changed colors from blond to black to brown swept over her back. "I like Annabeth, but it wasn't satisfying. That's my bad."_

_Percy had been in fights before, and sometimes there was the sensation before the sucker punch, a horrifying realization that you were going to get pummeled. Aphrodite was giving him that vibe._

_"Your bad?"_

_"Is that not the right slang? It's so hard to keep up with what the kids are saying and I'm so busy as it is."_

Yeah,_ Percy thought sarcastically, _butting into demigods lives would keep you busy.

_"What do you mean that it's your bad?"_

_"You were impressive, Percy. You fought off a Minotaur on your first try! I know many demigods who couldn't do that. You were fearless and Annabeth was so unimpressed. I had to do something about it, you understand. You two were together and were adorable, but she never saw you as anything _more_. I like experimenting, to see what happens when two people who aren't meant for each other fall in love. It's delicious."_

_"You made her fall in love with me?"_

_"I gave Eros that pleasure. Don't worry, he was gentle, not a lot of pain."_

_"All of this was you?" The anger boiled fast in his veins._

_"You have a lot of steamy moments to thank me for, Percy. Oh, that first kiss! It was one for the storybooks!"_

_"Did you send Eros after Nico, too?"_

_Aphrodite clapped her hands. "Oh, I hadn't even considered of the two of you! I'm sorry I can't take credit for this. What Nico feels for you is not our doing."_

_"And how I feel about him?"_

_"That's not us either."_

_It did little to dull his fury. If the Gods affected every facet of demigod and mortal lives, how did anyone know what they felt was real or not? Aphrodite peered at him with her ever-changing eyes, her face never settling on a shape or color, but all beautiful._

_"Percy, all of it is real. Just because someone was hit with Eros arrows doesn't make it less real. You don't have a lot of faith in us."_

_Percy snapped, "you don't make that easy. You mess with us."_

_"Now, now," she chastised lightly, "you were happy with Annabeth and you were too young to settle with Nico back then. Some things take time. You and Nico needed years, but you're young - babies in the eyes of us Gods. You haven't lost any time, you've learned is all."_

_"That's a nice twist on morals."_

_"You'll be fine, Percy, but I must say, you will face more difficulties. They will begin when you wake up." Aphrodite shivered with anticipation, fixating her gaze back on the roaring ocean._

_"I'm not done talking with you yet."_

_Green - no blue - eyes widened. "You have grown. I love the fire, but that's not your decision, is it? This is enough, for now." She snapped her fingers._

Percy woke on his stomach, his arm reaching out above him, his wrist bent oddly between the wall and the mattress. Sitting up he listened. There wasn't a sound, but did he really expect there'd be? Nico was quieter than a mouse.

However, when he peeked into the living room, it was empty. The blanket had fallen halfway on the floor as if Nico got up in a hurry, and the clothes that he wore were rumpled up carelessly.

His heart plummeted. Picking up the shirt, he brought it to his nose. It smelled of him and Nico, a perfect mix of both of them, like someone bottled the ocean's tide and burnt wood. Like summer days.

That was it. Nico was gone just like the ghost that he was.

Percy dropped the shirt, grabbed his keys from the table and left. He probably should have taken a shower, changed his clothes from yesterday, but he didn't care, all he wanted was some food, and his grumbling stomach agreed.

There was a great pizza place down the street from the apartment. It wasn't breakfast food, but that was the point in having pizza in the morning. He wanted it greasy with all the toppings. He wanted it so greasy he'd need a pile of napkins to keep it dripping off his chin.

New York was beautiful that day, the Summer melting into Autumn, the cool air itching to get under his warm jacket. He spotted a few colorful splotches in the trees and thought of how everything seemed more vibrant when the dead was coming alive and the alive when it was dying.

"Hey! Hey!"

Percy turned and spotted a little girl with blond pigtails smiling at him sweetly. She offered a crumpled dollar, "I think you dropped this."

He knew very well that he had a full twenty on him. "Keep it," he tried to smile back.

"This is yours." He could have sworn her voice lowered in timbre.

Cautiously, he gripped his pen. "Buy yourself some candy."

"Take it," the girl growled, her shiny black shoes steaming. "Take the money, Percy Jackson." She grew taller, an insane growth-spurt.

The dollar went up in smoke and Percy swung his sword, small hands that turned into claws grappled with the hilt, turning it away from her. Her scales cut into his knuckles, the more he fought, the more they cut in.

"You should be nicer, Percy Jackson," the girl hissed, boils on her cheeks popping, she pushed his sword up.

"Yeah, I'll remember that," he grunted, kicking her in the stomach.

She fell, a murderous visage taking over her once sweet-appearance. Where once her feet had been there were three snake-like legs that wiggled uncontrollably.

No one passing them on the sidewalk took interest; the Mist stronger than ever. She grinned suddenly, her teeth popping out of her mouth like coins from a slot machine.

Percy gripped his sword, but didn't attack just yet. Behind her the concrete cracked, the earth shaking violently, Percy grasping on to a cafe table for balance. The cracks widened, large enough to swallow the people that were unwittingly avoiding it.

"Do you know what isss happening?"

It couldn't have been Gaia. She was defeated. This was something different but familiar. He remembered the ground opening up like that once, it happened right in Camp Half-Blood.

The bones of a hand flew out from the ground, it lifted the rest of itself up. It stood there, its dingy old sword poised and ready.

"They're here to take you, Percccy. Sssomeone wantsss you. It'sss here to take you to the Underworld. Death awaitsss you."

"I've been to the Underworld - got the t-shirt and everything."

The skeleton raised its sword and Percy raised his. Then, the skeleton's skull turned downward, the sockets of where its eyes used to be aiming at the monster lying sprawled at its feet. Swiftly, it pointed its sword at her, piercing the girl/monster through her back and chest. The scream was cut short, her body turning to dust.

Another snake creature came slithering out from a table, her face scaly, her teeth dripping poison. The only thing human about her was her glassy eyes, brown flecked with green. Percy chopped off her head easily, but there were more, coming out from the gaps in the concrete, from under chairs and taxi's. Percy spun, seeing them from around buildings and across the busy street, some getting hit by cars, turning to dust under the wheels.

They were everywhere.

Three more skeletons came crawling up, their old weaponry lifting to defend. From behind the cafe Nico came into the sun, Percy's blue sunglasses firmly over his eyes.

"You're here," Percy commented stupidly.

Nico moved behind him, their backs together. He spun the Stygian sword threateningly. "Ready for this?"

"Sure, but what are they?"

"Let's say hybrids."

Percy didn't want to witness _that _family reunion.

When they were surrounded, him and Nico attacked together, duckign and dodging their clawing, slashing through the droves. The skeleton soldiers sliced through them with remarkable speed, protecting their backs.

Nico cut through two at once, their heads rolling under a passing Lamborghini.

"Double the points," Percy called out to him.

Nico laughed, a genuine laugh. Percy grinned, kicking one to the side, stabbing it in the stomach.

"I'm not giving you any points for that," Nico yelled.

"It wasn't that bad."

"Not. Impressive. At. All." He punctuated each word with a kill.

Fighting them was easy, but they kept coming. They slithered forward, bearing their claws, spitting poison that bubbled and ate the long laces of Percy's shoes.

Nico's movements were slowing. He had called forth two more skeletons, and while they helped, it was taking its toll on their summoner.

Percy kept close to him, making sure that none of them were planning on accosting him from behind. They weren't too bright, but they were enthusiastic.

The sun was high in the sky, and they were beginning to attract attention. They had stayed in one place for too long. Nico had noticed it, too.

"We need to get out of here."

There were a few more monsters crawling their way toward them, the skeletons taking care of them.

Nico bent forward, his hand on his knee, his sword hanging limply. With a yawn he dismissed their aid, and with their job done, the skeletons fell apart, their bones clattering into the pitch blackness of the earth. With a jolt, the sidewalk snapped itself shut. Percy nearly tumbled.

"We have to go," he yawned again, "before more come." Nico reached for him, his hand hovering in mid-air.

Percy's brain was slow to take it in. Nico didn't like to be touched. Before Percy could compute it Nico fell apart as his skeleton had done, like a broken morbid doll, he collapsed. Percy caught him, raising him up in his arms with ease.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

While Percy had no idea what the monster meant that the Underworld awaited him, but he went out regardless. In his defense, he was still hungry and the sleeping Nico desperately needed food. Aside from the soup that he served he didn't know when the last time Nico ate.

He returned with an armful of Chinese food and luckily the dark-eyed man was sitting up on the couch working the puzzle much faster than Percy was able. He had completed most of Poseidon's palace and the fish around it. Just while he was there Nico placed three more pieces together.

There was a crunch at his feet, and he looked down. Beneath the soles of his shoes there was dirt. He looked at Nico, ready to ask, but he motioned him to come forward and the question died.

"I got some food," Percy announced, handing him a white carton and chopsticks out of the white bag. He was surprised that Nico knew how to work chopsticks, but he didn't know why it surprised him. Nico had been all over the world - thanks to shadow traveling. Of course he would know how to use them.

Percy settled with using a fork.

"Do you know why they want you," Nico asked, popping a square chicken in his mouth.

"Your father? I don't know."

"I don't think it's dad," he took another bite, covering the edginess in his tone.

"You know something."

He swallowed hurriedly, "not really. Someone in the Underworld wants you, that's obvious. I don't think it's my dad, though."

Percy stabbed his noodles. "This will never end."

"What?"

"Being chased by monsters."

"We're demigods. It's part of the job."

Percy recalled the days when he dreamt of living with Annabeth in New Rome, going to college, getting jobs, and most of all they would lead normal and safe lives. All that was taken away - and sure, he could still go to New Rome, be accepted among them, go to college and be safe. But it didn't hold the same attraction. There was no one to share that with, no one worth moving away from Camp Half-Blood for. If he was going to be alone he'd rather be fighting monsters, but if there was someone else to live longer for... There wasn't anyone like that... No one except Nico.

Nico took a dumpling and motioned to the jigsaw puzzle. "You got another one around here?"

"A ton."

That was how the next few days were passed. They pieced together caves and lake houses and pastures of horses. They talked sparingly, laughed occasionally (Percy more than Nico), and above all enjoyed each other's company (at least Percy enjoyed his).

At Nico's insistence, they ordered in. Percy imagined that Nico wasn't quite up for another quarrel with monsters just yet and maybe he actually liked his company. Whatever the reason, Percy was happy to oblige. It was the longest time they had been together without fighting. In fact, they had never been in each other's company for so long. Percy had learned that he enjoyed Nico being around, especially when he wasn't throwing him dirty or confused looks.

They took to sparring in the living room. Percy arrogantly assumed Nico may be a bit rusty in his swords-play, but that was not at all true. Percy had to put forth the same amount of effort into fighting with a flock of harpies as he had to fight with Nico, and even three days later he was having difficulty keeping up with him.

Percy continued dodging and blocking more of his strikes. He fell backward on to the carpet, the Stygian sword causing a deep gash in the coffee table, pieces of the jigsaw flying. Percy rolled under the table. Nico hopped up on it.

"This is below you, Jackson. Come out and fight," Nico laughed.

Percy pushed the table up, Nico slid down like he was a pro skater, falling to his knees and doing a slick combat roll, bouncing to his feet. That infuriated Percy, and he stood, his sword raised high, but in a blink Riptide had flew into the kitchen, scratching the linoleum, and he was backed into the wall, the edge Nico's black sword placed at his jugular.

Nico was breathing hard, the scent of Percy's mint toothpaste wafting over his face, and he smirked at him, but Nico didn't smile back, his eyes true to their form of shattered glass, of haunting ghosts. For one terrible moment Percy feared that his head would be severed, but the sword lowered.

The space between them widened and he felt cold, unarmed and helpless and his heart wouldn't slow, every tendon in his body strung tightly. One more touch and he would break. He straightened, pushing himself off the wall, keeping himself from grabbing Nico back to his side. It was like walking on a tightrope – one wrong word and he would lose the beautiful illusion.

Nico, like a ghost, could disappear at any time. Once he was gone, no one knew where he would turn up next or when they would see him again. There wasn't a war, a quest with Hazel, there was nothing that tied them together anymore. For all Percy knew, it could be the last time he was with Nico and time was running out, the hour-glass emptying.

"I have to go," Nico said, clenching the hilt of his sword, not turning to face him.

Fear, with its razor sharp claws climbed up into his throat. "You don't have to."

"I've overstayed my welcome." He sheathed his sword, picking up his jacket from the arm of the couch.

"You couldn't do that."

Nico's jaw was taunt, muscles twitching. "You don't understand _anything_." Anger had filled his voice, practically spitting it out like a poison.

The truth itched inside of him, demanding to be let out. "Nico -"

"Stop."

"I like you."

The moment froze, like a glitch in a DVD. Of all the things that Percy thought he would feel when he said those words aloud, he didn't expect to feel lightened. Once he had literally carried the weight of the sky and it was not nearly hard as it was keeping that secret from Nico.

With a clatter Nico placed his weapon on the table. "You like me," he asked dubiously.

"I love you," he corrected, reveling in the truth of it. "I love you, Nico."

"Since when?" His tone hadn't lost its anger, in fact, it was harder – rougher.

"In New Rome, when you introduced yourself."

"That moment?"

"In a lot of moments. It's complicated, Nico, it didn't happen over night, but it happened. So, don't leave."

"Why not?" He spun to him, his nose wrinkled, his eyes narrowed, sneering like a feral animal. "Because you suddenly have feelings for me? Or is this all because you don't have Annabeth, you have to settle for second best?"

He scowled, "you were never second best."

"Forget it, Percy."

"I've done that once, I don't plan on it again."

"Is this a joke?"

"No," he exhaled. Admitting he liked Nico was effortless compared to what he was going to confess. "Annabeth and I broke up, because I can't get over you. I'm not saying it's fair, but I want this."

"And you always get what you want."

"No, but this time I'm hoping to."

Nico's face fell, becoming fearful, like a deer in headlights. "You're being truthful?"

"Of course."

"Oh." The silence was deafening for a long time before he said, "I - I don't know..."

Percy tried to shrug, but it came out as a twitch. There wasn't much more time. Either Nico was going to leave or stay and the older demigod wasn't about to surrender without having fought.

"Give it a try."

He looked uncertain, but Percy approached him slowly. Whatever had remained of Nico's harsh mien had yielded, but his breath was as brisk as it had been when they were sparring. Just as carefully and just as slowly, he touched his neck tracing the blue of his veins, moving up to finger the sharp ends of his silky hair.

Nico's shoulder's dropped slightly, the crease between his brows smoothing. Percy tried not to smile, not be obvious of his enjoyment of being close to him, of touching him.

Spidery fingers brushed under his wrist, over his pulse point. It must have increased in its beat because there was a malicious glint in Nico's eyes. Percy swallowed any string of fear that was caused by it, refusing to be frightened by him. He knew him, better than anyone else. Nico wouldn't hurt him. All Nico ever tried to do was save him.

"Please," Percy groaned, begging.

His fingers constricted almost painfully, shifting up his arm to the crook of his elbow. Percy waited with bated breath until Nico finally looked into his eyes.

It was sudden, as he leaned forward and Nico reached up, their lips crashed together. It was surprisingly soft, warm and melting. It lit something inside of Percy, he saw lightning behind his lids, a roaring in his ears. He was in the midst of a storm.

He tugged at Nico, bringing him closer, tangling his inky curls. He couldn't get enough, his hands sliding down to his back, clutching at his shirt. It wasn't close enough.

Nico clutched his shoulders, taking his lip between his teeth, his tongue heating the inside of his mouth with lust. With that their kisses were no longer sweet but a battlefield for dominance, and Percy liked to have thought he was winning, until Nico was pushing him back toward the bedroom.

Understanding, Percy made quick work with their clothing, running his hand under Nico's shirt, over his skin that was deliciously hotter than he would've imagined. He swiped off his top as they blundered their way to Percy's bed. The edge hit the back of his legs causing him to fall backward where he brought Nico roughly on top of him.

The younger man took advantage and brought his knees up by his new lover's waist, his nails digging in, marking him, claiming him, his kisses harder and more possessive as if he was trying to pour into it every emotion he's had over him.

Percy breathed in Nico's dark scent, like damp caverns, and the deepest of the darkest woods. He felt every caress, every bite and kiss times a thousand what it would have been with anyone else. Percy appreciated the irony of feeling alive with the lord of death, yet as Nico pushed his hips against Percy's he forgot all of it and only remembered him.

Percy rolled him under his body, lying fully on him, nibbling and sucking at his neck. Nico cursed - or at least it felt like a curse - it sounded Italian at least. Nico continued to mutter in that language, shoving Percy under him once more, undoing the button of his jeans, his breath coming hard and fast.

With shaking hands, he set about Nico's jeans as well. When they kicked them to the floor, Percy took in Nico, the muscles not always seen and the deepening darkness of his eyes, the curls of his shoulder-length hair. He couldn't hold it in much longer.

"Finalmente," Nico whispered huskily.

Percy could hardly think, but he asked, "what does that mean?"

Nico ran his hands from his shoulders to his hands, locking their fingers. "It means I've waited a long time."

"I won't let you wait again," he promised, sitting up and stealing his mouth.

* * *

Night had set and so had Percy and Nico. Skin to skin they laid, soaking up the moon's rays. Percy kissed the supple spot behind Nico's ear. If only he never had to move again. They could stay there and pretend that the world with its gods and monsters didn't exist. Only they existed and there was only peace.

Nico twisted in his hold, his nose burying itself in his neck. He kissed Percy's throat. "I left marks." Gently, his icy touch made trails across his shoulders where bruises in the shape of fingers and teeth marred.

"I've had worse."

"Don't challenge me," Nico mumbled, pecking kisses under his chin.

"We missed dinner. We should get some pizza."

There was a second hesitation, his sight locking on Percy's forearm where SPQR was tattooed, forever a reminder of his time at Camp Jupiter. Nico traced the letters with his thumb.

"Or we could eat in." That dodging timbre was back in his voice.

"I say we go out," he tested him and when he didn't answer he sat up suddenly, causing Nico to moan and not quite in the way that Percy was loving earlier. "What is it? You're hiding something from me."

Nico didn't meet his gaze.

"Is this another trick of yours? Like when you handed me over to your father?"

Nico's cheeks flamed. "You're never going to trust me, are you?"

"I can't trust you if you keep secrets from me."

"Like you did? All this time you had these feelings for me and you didn't say anything?"

"You didn't!"

"That's not the same thing."

"It's not?"

He sat up, too, but didn't let even their knees bump, quite a feet in the twin bed they were sharing. "I'm not from this era. In my time... You couldn't come out like that. I was diseased - sick. And to think, being the son of Hades..."

"This isn't the 1930's, Nico. This is okay."

"Now it is, but this is not the world I belong in."

Percy rolled his eyes. "This is where you belong."

Nico swung out of bed, jerking on his black jeans and t-shirt. "You can't go out, Percy."

"Why not?"

There was a pause in his slighted movements, a pity. "You have a price on your head. That's why I'm here: To keep you from going back to the Underworld. It was not a coincidence that I was there when your phone was stolen. I've been keeping an eye on you, waiting for something like that to happen."

Percy stood from the bed, more enraged than he had been when he was locked in Hades' palace. "You've what?!"

Nico looked vulnerable - startled even, but Percy wasn't feeling generous. He felt murderous. He felt duped and cheated.

"Persephone wants you. You know, you don't always get a nice call from the Underworld. They send others after you."

Persephone wanting him made no sense, but he could tell that Nico was being honest. Percy nodded. "Get out."

"I can't do that. You're in danger, they could come here. I'm cloaking you as best as I can. You stink of death, that's why we're not swarmed by monsters. It wasn't easy because I smell like you, but I managed it with cemetery dirt at your door and windows."

He didn't know which to respond to, the cloaking or the cemetery dirt that he stepped in. He decided to go with the former. "That's what that was. Cloaking me?"

Anger flashed across Nico's face. "What was any of it for? Getting you out of my father's cells, coming for you in the maze -"

"Saving Annabeth?"

"I like Annabeth," he seethed, "I didn't like her with you. But everything I've done has been to help you. I did it because I love you."

Percy sat at the edge of his bed, his nerves strung high. He didn't like such confrontations where he couldn't fight off the enemy with force, and Nico wasn't the enemy and Percy had to step up, but he couldn't think. The room smelled heavy of sex and his skin smelled of him.

"Percy, I love you. It's the hardest thing I've ever had to do was accept who I am and how I felt about you. Now that I have... This is my fault."

"How is this your fault?"

"Because I think Persephone knows about my feelings for you. I talked to Bob about you. She could've overheard... I don't know why it makes a difference to her but Persephone hates me. She could be going after you to get to me."

The gods couldn't stand to let them be, to afford them any happiness. His first night with Nico was stained with the news, making him angry. His quick temper was thanks to his father, and it was something he tried to repress with jokes, but he was older and Nico was serious. He sighed, letting it go, and he stood.

"Then I guess you have no choice but to take me there."

Nico waved his hands, "no."

"I'm not asking."

"I'm not doing it."

"You're not the only child of Hades that I can ask," Percy threatened.

"For once, sit out. It's dangerous, Percy, they don't like letting people leaving there alive. She might not let you come back this time. What if she kills you? What if I can't get you back here?"

"That's a chance I'll take."

"What for? We can handle this."

"If Persephone wants me, there's nothing that we can do that'll stop her. You know that."

Nico shook his head, his eyes watering. "Don't make me lose you now."

Percy's ire faded quickly at the sight of his vulnerability, and he grabbed the base of his boyfriend's neck, pressing a hard kiss to his forehead. "We're not going to hide."

Nico leaned into him, resting his head on his chest, right over his heart. "Okay, but be respectful. Don't be sarcastic. She turned me into a dandelion once."

"Doesn't sound worse than being a guinea pig."

Nico laughed, deep and soothing. Nico laughing had become non-existent to rare to uncommon. Percy relished the sound every time he heard it.

"If you die, I'll never forgive you," he warned, it muffled but vibrating his ribs.

"Fine." Percy bowed, capturing his mouth, guiding him back to the bed. Just one more time before he went to the land of the dead.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Dawn would soon approach, breaking the navy blue sky. Percy held Nico up as they walked across the darkened grass of the park. Guilt weighed heavier on him than Nico did, he knew he shouldn't have made him shadow travel on his limited sleep but the son of Hades pointed the way, and slumped next to the ordinary-looking rock. Percy held his shoulder, peering into his face worryingly.

"Music, remember," Nico yawned.

"I don't sing."

"Got to make some music." He turned his cheek to the cool rock.

Percy drew his jacket closer around him, thinking of what kind of music he could make that wouldn't be humiliating until he heard a soft voice resonating a melody.

Nico was singing, half in English, half in Italian, turning his brain to mush at the words floating through the air. The song pulsated within him, relaxing him. He was vaguely reminded of the Apollo kids with such a similar ability, but for the duration of his boyfriend's singing, he forgot where he was and what they were supposed to be doing. Then, the rock split open, just large enough for them to descend.

Percy was about to change his mind, thinking that for the third time he would carry Nico back to his apartment. However, Nico opened his eyes.

"Are we going or not," he asked.

"You're too weak."

"You're not going without me," he yawned once more, his eyes closing.

Percy kissed his lips and zipped up his aviator jacket. "Okay," he told him softly lowering him to the ground. He would be safer there in the park than going into the Underworld. It didn't matter that it was his territory; Persephone would see weakness and who knew what kind of plant she would turn her step-son into next.

He inhaled the fall air deeply, and made his way down the slippery steps. It was funny how some memories were as vivid as the day it happened, and there were other smaller details that your brain forgot. It was one of those instances where he forgot how far into the Underworld was. Often he would slip and attempt to gain balance by grabbing the narrowing walls which were as slick as the steps. It became colder and he shivered in his jacket wishing he had brought a heavy coat.

Only once, he looked over his shoulder to be certain that Nico hadn't suddenly woken and was following him, but he couldn't see a light, much less his own hand. He had to feel for the steps before moving forward.

Finally, there was a small pinpoint of light. He continued until he could see the crooked and cracked steps in front of him, and then the black river of Lethe, the flickering torches and the rocky floor.

Percy fully expected to be taken away by one of the Furies, but there was nothing. He kept Riptide out in front of him, his eyes shifting to every dark corner and crevice. He walked along the River of Lethe, breaking off toward Hade's Palace, but first, there was Persephone's garden where beautiful black skeletal trees and flowers grew. It was beautiful in the way a haunted building was beautiful.

A thick fog covered his tennis shoes, causing him to worry what he was stepping on, but his attention was diverted by a woman with luxurious black hair in a pale flowered dress pruning a leafless tree. He took what may have been his last breath, and he approached her.

"Persephone?"

She looked over, her eyes dark and gruesome. "Percy Jackson," she smiled, "you don't look dead."

"Yeah, thanks," he said.

"Well? Go ahead and plead to me."

"Huh?"

"That's why you're here. Oh, don't give me that blank look, we all know that you're not as dumb as you look. And I know about your dalliance with my step-son. Speaking of which, where is that miserable boy?"

"Upstairs." He didn't mention that he was sleeping as it was probably best to let Persephone believe that he had back up. Who would be dumb enough to go into the Underworld alive and without a small army?

"Just as well. He has a temper. So much like his dad."

_Just like all the Gods,_ Percy thought to himself.

"I'm waiting..."

He furrowed his brows. "Why did you want me here?"

"For you to grovel," she said it as if it was obvious.

"That's it?" Percy couldn't believe that it would be so easy. Nothing – and he did mean nothing – was that simple, most especially when it concerned the gods.

"Okay," she sighed, "there is one more thing. Now, I don't care about your relationship with Nico - in fact, I can use this."

His blood thinned to ice. Nico was right. "Use this?"

"For my own benefit," she reassured. "Nico is a nuisance. I want you to keep him away from here for the Fall and Winter months. He can trample down here to his heart's content in Spring and Summer. I don't _care_."

"You're kicking Nico out?"

"Only for a few months," she said, offended, cutting off a rather large branch. It sunk into the rolling fog and he preferred not to think of what happened to it. "Hades has granted me this wish since I _have tried _to get along with that kid, but it is impossible. Always mouthing off, thinking he knows _everything_ - " Another poor branch was hacked.

Percy thought that it didn't help that Nico was a reminder of Hades cheating on Persephone. "That's all teenagers."

"Yes, but not _my_ children. He has been impossible since the day he got here. He was better off in the Lotus Hotel. I mean, he was happy. What was the harm in letting him stay there? He comes here, telling us what to do, how to run things, bossing his father around. There used to be more respect for gods. Everyone has an opinion these days."

Percy let her rant, unsure of what to say. "So, um, so that's it? Nico just has to camp elsewhere?"

"You keep asking that. Is this too difficult of a task? Should I ask that he stay away _for good_?"

Wide-eyed, he quickly amended, "no! No, I just mean, you'll stop having your... _Friends_ attack me?"

"Oh, certainly. I didn't mean any harm. They can go a bit crazy for demigods. Honestly, no harm."

"Of course not," Percy agreed heartily, inwardly rolling his eyes.

"I am afraid that I must ask that you promise this on the River Styx. You understand, heroes can be so fickle. You've heard of Theseus." Persephone stepped toward him, her sheers too close to his face. "Promise on the River Styx that while Nico is alive he will not return to the Underworld in the Fall and Winter months."

Percy's mind stuttered. A promise on the River Styx was not to be taken lightly, the Fates were serious with their scissors and life-strings. When he was eleven he the three hags with them and it was nearly as horrible as seeing the person die themselves. When the string was cut, there was the knowledge that they couldn't be saved.

On the other hand, maybe scissors was not as big of a worry as those sheers were. They were getting dangerously close to his neck.

"Percy... Do you promise on the River Styx?"

"I promise on the River Styx."

Persephone smiled. "That's a good boy. Off you go. And Percy?" She grinned sweetly. "Good luck getting out of here alive."

Sardonically, he smiled back. "Thank you, Persephone." He then ran out of her saturnine garden, no longer worrying about what he was running on.

He didn't make it far, only the next sharp corner of the cavern when a red-haired harpy swooped, narrowly missing his head. Percy dived and rolled, pushing his foot against the ground and spinning toward the sound of the cackles. The shedding bird turned around, heading right at him.

Inside he flinched. His brother, Tyson, was dating a harpy and it was her that he saw in the creatures. He put her out of his mind and swiped the flat edge of the blade against her skull, flying her into the wall, the sickening cracks of bones echoing. It looked like a home run to Percy, but didn't wait to see if she got back up.

A shrill cry echoed and coming at him was her sister, flapping her wings, blue-tinged feathers floating erratically around her like a halo. Percy dropped and slid under the belly of her as she flew over, cutting through her stomach as the rough gravel cut into his skin, tearing at his gray "Grand Station" t-shirt.

The bird-woman exploded into dust above his head. He wiped it out of his eyes as he stood, running before he was fully on his feet.

Five other harpies flapped their wings in mid-air in front of him, all with blood-thirsty grins. He didn't remember so many of them. Apparently, Persephone had taken to breeding them, but it couldn't have been her that sent them. After all, she needed Percy alive to keep Nico away.

What a stupid reason for him to be alive. What a dumb reason to drag him to the Underworld in the first place! Percy couldn't believe his luck. It was one thing, fighting to save the world, but to fight because a goddess was throwing a hissy fit over her step-son? Yeah, he had the worst luck.

"Welcome to Hades, Percy Jackson," the harpies sang in unison. "Please, enjoy your stay."

There wasn't anyway that he could defend off five harpies at once by himself. Normally, there was always a way, but he couldn't employ what he did last time; spraying the half-birds with the River of Lethe was too risky, they were too quick and too close, and he'd rather die than risk losing his memory again.

Percy gripped his sword. "Thanks, but I've got a date."

They glided down, and Percy swung, one popping into dust, but the others dug their talons into the flesh of his arms, pulling him roughly to the ground. They tore, and he screamed with the hot-white pain, his sword dropping, retracting to an ordinary pen, a pen covered in blood.

There was so much blood, hot and red and bright. So bright it was glowing, glinting off the flames. The world didn't look the same, it was out of focus. The birds swirled together, creating one terrible multicolored blur.

He lied there, helplessly, seeing through talons and beaks the River of Lethe in front of him. He was so close. Close to home and close to Nico.

The harpies danced a circle around him, like a celebratory rave before eating their meal, but he focused on his pen lying outside of the circle. He reached, but he was a hair-width's away. He grunted, and tried to shimmy closer. A claw clasped over his arm, its talons digging into his fresh wounds. He screamed and it was all he could hear, the searing pain all he could feel.

He was going to die at the hand of feathered cheerleaders. Yeah, that had to be the worst way to die. He hoped no one put it on his headstone. Then again, who would know what became of him?

Nico. He would know and he was going to be angry with him. Perhaps that was the worse part about dating a son of Hades, even in death there was no escaping them. Oh, he hoped that he never found out how he died. It would just be humiliating.

There was rumbling, the stones of Hades' floor bouncing like rubber balls. The harpies jumped and squealed excitedly. A blur of dark fur jumped through or over them, Percy couldn't tell which. He thought he was losing consciousness as he watched his over-sized dog (a hellhound, really) Mrs. O'Leary rip the bird-women to pieces, their shrill squawks blending in with his own cries, but whether they were aloud or in his head, he didn't know.

Percy must've closed his eyes. Mrs. O'Leary was giving long licks to his whole face and he gasped awake, grabbing onto her thick fur. He had never been more happy to have a pet dog from the Underworld. He smiled at her and the red-gold feathers sticking out from her wet mouth.

"Good girl."

Mrs. O'Leary knelt, and whined for him. Percy got to all fours, fighting to stay conscious. Blood dripped from him, his arms and legs torn, his chest sporting deep gashes. He wasn't fully standing when he fell, there was a giant nudging to his side, pushing him over her back as he matted her black fur. He held on as she ran, following the curves of the steps to home. Behind them were angry cries of undoubtedly more harpies. Percy guessed that there was a line they couldn't cross and he was infinitely grateful to whoever made that rule.

He must've blacked out again. Or he was dead. There was a tugging to his torn shirt, causing him to fall on the ground and into whoever's arms. With great difficulty he cracked open his eyes, giving a smile when he saw Nico's angry face. Yes, he was dead.

"Angel," he muttered.

Nico held up his head, pushing something sweet into his mouth, it tasting like blue birthday cake.

"Chew," Nico ordered, uncapping a water bottle, pouring it over his injuries, ceasing the bleeding.

Percy swallowed, a lump of ambrosia making its way down his dry throat. The wounds closed and his breath was no longer ragged (he hadn't even noticed). He could feel Nico's fingers running through his sweat-drenched hair.

"Gods, Percy, don't ever do that to me again."

He found his hand on his cheek, and he took his wrist, noticing the amount of his own blood Nico was covered in, and he kissed his palm. "Never again, angel."

"Don't tell me that's going to become a nickname," Nico hissed.

"I'll never say it again, angel."

Nico sucked in air through his teeth, and kissed him hard. While he hardly looked anymore awake than earlier, he was obviously more than borderline manic. Percy was only then grasping how much Nico actually cared. It shouldn't have surprised him with the way that Annabeth spoke of that dream, but it did. He didn't know what he did to deserve him.

"You left me," Nico snarled.

"You would've been fodder down there."

"I live there."

Percy wanted to tell him that he didn't anymore, but the words wouldn't come out. He put down his life that Nico would never go home in the cold months, and Nico was right there at the entrance. Percy tugged him closer, keeping a tight hold on his hip.

"You could've died. She could've turned you into a plant. A million things could've happened, Percy. You said I could go with you."

"Not this time. C'mon, we've got to go. I'll carry you."

"I don't think so, you're in no state." He grabbed on to Percy's arms and waist, lifting him over his shoulders. Percy was sure that Nico couldn't carry him, but he was proven wrong. Although measured, he was doing fine.

They passed Mrs. O'Leary who had plopped down to take her nap. Like Nico, she tired out fast when she shadow-traveled. Percy hadn't realized that she had done so, and figured that Nico must have called for her from a distance.

"Almost home, angel?"

"Almost home, soldato."

Percy was too tired to ask what that meant. He fell back asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

When Percy woke on the couch he found that he was wishing he was back in the Underworld fighting monsters. Percy could deal with the harpies tearing apart his skin; it was who was kneeling in front of him like a radiant Goddess that was more terrifying. He didn't move out of shock, but his visitor didn't have such qualms.

"Oh Gods, are you okay?" Annabeth smoothed Percy's tresses back from his face, the slight creases in her face showing concern.

"I'm fine." He was stunned by his ex-girlfriend's appearance in his apartment, beside him where Nico should have been. Had it all been a dream?

"What happened?"

"Long story. Where's Nico?" He tried to get up and search, but Annabeth gently pushed him down.

"He's in the shower. There was so much blood... Percy, you tell me now what happened."

"Everyone is fine."

"I wish I could believe that." She held his arm like a vice.

He didn't know the right response. It was a familiar query with Annabeth, the best answer to not get him killed.

She giggled at whatever expression was plastered on his face. "Percy, I'm glad he found you."

"I thought you were staying with your parents," he said.

"Oh, I have to go to Camp Half-Blood to elect another counselor."

"You're not going to be a counselor anymore?"

"I'm going to go to Camp Jupiter. I'll work in the Legion for a few years before attending the college there. I want to be an architect and that's what I'll be. I have to take this opportunity. I never thought I'd have it." She lit up in the only way that she could when it came to buildings. He never saw the attraction, but he always enjoyed the excitement that came from her. Right then, though, it felt like she was pummeling him.

In Tartarus Annabeth had agreed to go back to Camp Jupiter with Percy. They talked of what courses they would take, what they would do. He had envisioned a whole life with Annabeth, attending shops and classes, having lunch and doing every day things as a normal couple would do. Perhaps one day they would have gotten married, had kids. Percy never thought much of it, but when they broke up, he missed those things they never got to do. A life he never lived, kisses that never happened, children never born, days gone before the sunrise.

He didn't know it before, but he missed her. The sight of her made him giddy with happiness. He wanted to touch her, to relive the times they had before things became so messed up.

"Where will you and Nico go," she asked curiously.

He shook out the thoughts of her. "Um, I don't know." He hadn't given it any thought, to be honest. Nico lived out in the world, bouncing from one country to another. Nico didn't belong anywhere. It made Percy wonder where he, himself belonged. Was it still at Camp Jupiter? Was it at Camp Half-Blood? He could travel with Nico, never settling, but it wasn't what Percy really wanted.

"I'm sorry to drop by like this, Percy. I wanted to say hi, to see how you were. I hope I haven't overstepped my bounds."

Percy tried to smile, but it felt fake. "You don't have any bounds, Annabeth. But I have to ask: How long have you been here?"

"Since before Nico arrived with you."

"How did you get in?"

"I'm a demigod, Percy, and that's a door."

He laughed heartily.

"You haven't wrote me, or sent me any Iris messages" Annabeth said with that edge, as if she was thinking of flipping him over her shoulder again. "I've missed you, Seaweed Brain."

"Didn't know if I could..." Percy only had one break-up before her. He didn't know what the protocol was, he had no idea how to handle it when Annabeth left. After all they had gone through, holding up the skies, going through Tartarus together, he didn't know if he could have breathed without her. Yet there he was, whole and safe.

How could that be? How could someone take a vital part of his heart - his being, and still live?

"Did you break your arm," she asked sarcastically, her brows raised.

"I've got no excuses then, huh?"

Without warning, she bounded to her feet and hugged him with such ferocity that he was rendered immobile with shock. Her arms were tight around his neck as if trying to strangle him, his head safe, buried in the pillows - the only thing that kept him safe.

Gradually, his arms snaked around her, pulling her down against him. He buried his nose into her blond ponytail, the scent the same: Heady and sharp bringing back a torrent of memories. He thought of every kiss they shared, every tender moment. The first time he told her that he loved her... It was a lifetime ago.

"You better keep in touch," she whispered.

"I will."

Percy opened his eyes and over her shoulder was Nico, his wet hair dripping splotches on his old black t-shirt.

Annabeth dropped out of his embrace, and spun toward Nico. Instead of Percy's horrified gaze, she was luminous. "He seems fine to me. You worried over nothing, Nico."

Nico didn't answer, not looking away from Percy. There was angry or sadness - maybe a mix of both. Percy was frozen, and he wanted to say something to make it better, but his brain wouldn't work, his mind fumbling for the right sentence to melt that look off his face.

"I'm sorry, Nico," Annabeth apologized earnestly. "It wasn't what it looked like. I'm passing by, I have details to settle at Camp Half-Blood."

"It's fine. I'm leaving."

Percy shook his head, trying to get to his feet, but he was still weak and fumbled. Nico lunged forward, catching him and returned him to the couch. Instantly, Nico let him go, stepping back. Percy thought of reaching for him but thought better of it.

"You should stay. I'm going, I'm already late. I have an appointment with Chiron. Hey, I'm glad you're alright, Percy," she said, the pain clear in her eyes, but she started to the door.

"Annabeth," Nico called out.

She turned, her face unreadable. Percy wished she wouldn't be so brave right then, not when he felt sickeningly vulnerable.

"I'm sorry if this hurts you," Nico told her sincerely. "What happened in Greece... I didn't meant for you to see that."

There was a broken smile. "You make him happy and I want him happy. But Nico, not even the undead can save you if you hurt him."

Nico nodded, the corners of his mouth twitching. "Deal."

Annabeth left, her chin to chest. Percy thought he saw wet streaks on her cheeks but he couldn't have been sure.

Silence was heavy as stones when the door clicked shut. It was a good sign when Nico sat at his feet, the edge of his pinky touching the tip of Percy's toes.

"I'm sorry -"

"Don't," Nico interrupted. "She's been there with you for years. I can't expect you two not to be friends. I was just surprised she was here."

He touched his head. "You're great."

Nico shrugged. "What did my step-mother want?"

Percy closed his eyes, steeling himself for the anger that was inevitable, his hand dropping to his side. "She wanted you to leave the Underworld."

"She can't do that. My father wouldn't allow it."

"He's letting her." He wanted it over, like a band-aid he wanted to rip it off fast to spare him more pain. "You can spend your Fall's and Winter's there." To be frank, he was shocked that she was given Nico that. Perhaps that was Hades' doing.

Nico's face became grave, the darkness waving off of him in droves. Percy could practically see the walls building themselves up around him, undoing the work they put in to lower them. "Right. Guess I'll have to speak with him myself. But this doesn't make sense. Why get you down there? Why not tell me herself?"

Percy flinched. "Nico... You can't go down there, it's almost Fall."

"I'm his son," he hissed through his teeth. "She can't keep me from him."

He squeezed his knee as if that would make what he was about to say any better. "Persephone made me promise on the River of Styx."

Nico's visage fell, his lips parted open in surprise. "You promised?"

"I didn't know what else to do. The alternative was being dinner for the harpies – which I almost was. It's not forever, only a few months."

He shoved Percy off of him, moving to the other side of the coffee table for safe distance. He didn't know which act hurt him most.

"Now it makes sense why she wanted you. The best way to hurt me by making me choose my home or you."

"I'm sorry -"

"You had no right to make that promise. It was the only place I belonged!"

That struck a cord in Percy, his knuckles paling with constriction. "Hey, here's a thought: Maybe you have a home here with me. For Hera's sake, Nico, you're not alone. It's never been that way. You prefer it so you never get hurt."

"Maybe I was right not to let anyone get close. You're as bad as the gods, Percy, you hurt people every day, you only think of what you want, and you never think for a second what damage you could do by ignoring those around you."

Percy shot to his feet, a little unbalanced, but the fury gave him energy, his face red, a different kind of roaring in his ears than when they first kissed. "I was trying to help. You have months to be down there without her. That's not so bad."

"That's not the freaking point, Percy. You didn't consult me." Nico was screaming, shaking and on the edge of summoning all the soldiers of WW1.

"I didn't have time for that!"

"You would have if I went down there with you - like we agreed. But you left me again."

"Again?"

"I wanted to go with you on that quest," he reminded him. The quest right after Percy had found Nico and Bianca in that school.

"You weren't prepared," Percy said.

"What's the excuse now, keeping me on the surface?"

"I was trying to protect you."

"You don't get to make that decision. If you haven't noticed, I'm not a little kid anymore. I'm not helpless. You almost died down there, but I could have protected you. That is my domain. It's my world and you can't survive in it."

Percy's head pounded, like the beat of waves. "What do you want me to do?"

"You've already taken my sister and home."

His fingers itched to take out his sword. He had never been so mad at Nico and while he had every right to be mad at Percy over her death, but to bring it up, to use it against him... He thought Nico had finally forgiven him.

"That's not fair," Percy said quietly.

"Neither is what you did. You've given me an ultimatum: My home or you."

"I didn't think there was a choice."

"There's always a choice," he seethed, no longer screaming, the corners of his eyes sparkling.

"I did this for _you_."

"You did this out of convenience." Nico headed to the door, and all Percy could do was watch, the scene before him blood red with rage. He wanted to take out Riptide, fight with him, spar until they were too exhausted to hate each other.

"You can't run from everything," he yelled at him.

Nico didn't look back, and the slamming of the door killed the tempest inside of Percy. Suddenly, he was alone and drained. Slumping on the couch he held the sides of his skull to keep it from exploding. It was a moment later that he realized that Nico may never come back.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

The sun shining on his face was too bright. Percy stirred, falling off the couch on to the hard floor. Sluggishly he pieced together the events of the past week: Nico finding him, Percy taking him home, fighting monsters, loving each other, fighting each other, and Nico left.

Nico left, and he slept on the couch to be close to his scent. Still, Percy didn't believe it wasn't a horrible dream until he numbly took an apartment tour, hopefully checking every room for any sign of the son of Hades.

When he was certain that he truly had left, Percy opened the shades that poorly blocked the sun that rudely awoke him. In his room he rooted through the dresser, pushing aside articles of clothing until he found a few spare drachmas and the pyramid crystal his mother had given him as a gift to keep in touch with Annabeth and Grover. It was a bit like a demigod cell phone. He set it on the only window in the living room, positioning it just right to create a faint rainbow across the beige carpet.

Throwing the drachma through the array of colors he spoke, "Iris, accept my offering. I would like to speak to Nico di Angela, son of Hades."

A video shimmered in front of him. Nico was sitting outside of a McDonald's sporting a menu in a language Percy didn't recognize, but it was hard to tell between that and his dyslexia.

Nico slouched at one of the outside tables, taking tiny bites of over-cooked fries. He kept throwing them down, as if they weren't his favorite food. He donned his usual black clothes and his aviator jacket, and his old sullen expression. Yet, it seemed worse. Nico's eyes were bloodshot and red, his lips set into a frown.

Seeing him kicked his heart up a beat; it was almost painful. He thought of exiting out of the connection before he was spotted, but he had to give it a try, even if it meant Nico yelling at him again.

"Nico," he called.

The boy dropped a fry, facing him. His eyes narrowed, twirling a fry between his fingers.

"Hear me out -"

Nico waved his hand and the image dissipated. He was staring at the pyramid and the rainbow it sent through the room, the particles of dust floating.

It made Percy mad all over again. There was nothing that he could do right; he couldn't take back the promise he made. What did Nico want? Him to beg? He was already doing that.

There was only one option, and that was to find him, but how to find someone that could be anywhere in the world in seconds Percy didn't know. It didn't help that there were billions of McDonald's.

He pushed himself off the floor. He took a bit of the money his mother left and hailed a sticky and smelly taxi to the beach. It was a pretty day, the sky a clear and crisp blue, the wind small and chilling but it was no surprise that the beach was crowded. Picnics were scattered about the sand while little children built lopsided castles.

Percy kept close to the rocks, away from the surfers and kids. The waves kissed his toes, ankles, calves, knees, hips, and finally he dived in, submerging himself. He swam against the pushing current, the lull of it pulling him deeper into its depths. He wondered briefly if he could drop by his father's palace, but negated the idea quickly since his wife and son didn't like him. He could have at least gone to the forges to see Tyson, but their father was likely keeping him busy. So he swam alone.

The ocean cleared his mind, abling him to think. The ocean healed him, gave him a sort of home away from home feeling. It was the one place he could think clearly, breathe properly, and it healed all of his wounds. If someone had forbidden him out of the sea, he would have felt lost – a kind of homelessness.

That was what he did to Nico, Percy realized. Persephone used him. Maybe his fatal flaw wasn't his loyalty and love, maybe it was not thinking anything through. It had never cost him as much as it had then.

His surroundings darkened to a deep blue. He swam past yellow and blue fish, and he spotted dolphins in the distance chattering away about the indecency of whales. Deeper and deeper he went, ignoring every sea creature that may have wanted to start a conversation he didn't want to have. Maybe the abyss was part of Poseidon's territory, he could live there, wallowing in the absent of light. He definitely didn't have any desire to go home - not when Nico wasn't going to be there.

He continued on until he was thinking of nothing at all and could see nothing in front of him. He fell into peace and pieces.

The moon had risen and the few stars that could be seen were twinkling above him when he emerged dry but deshelved from the ocean. He trudged through the sand, too weary to pick up his feet. He could barely recall the taxi and the trip up the stairs to the apartment. He stalled at the door, wondering if he wanted to go in to see the emptiness for himself.

As best as he tried to steel himself, it didn't stop his insides from plummeting when only darkness greeted him. There was nothing there of comfort in his absence, only Nico's lingering scent and that was fading fast.

Percy had been devastated when him and Annabeth broke up, but he had never felt _empty_. Someone had taken out his guts, leaving nothing behind. He was no better than a ghost.

He kicked off his shoes, leaving them in the middle of the living room to take up space. He plopped on the couch, rubbing his tired eyes.

"Percy?"

He looked up, Annabeth floating in an Iris message in front of him. The sight warmed him.

"Hey, Annabeth."

"What's wrong? You look like you've been through Hades."

Percy shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing's wrong."

"Where's Nico?"

"He left."

"Why? What did you do?"

"Thanks," he stated cynically. He shook his head. He didn't want to discuss it with Annabeth. He didn't want to talk about it with anyone.

"I wanted to tell you that I'm going to be here for a few more days. It looks like the younger ones could use some extra training. It would be great if you and Nico could drop by, help them out."

"Look, I gotta go."

"Tell me what's going on," she said so strictly that briefly he considered telling her. He didn't want to be alone, but it was better than Annabeth making him feel more guilty than he already felt. She had a penchant for telling the truth and the truth was not what he wanted. He wanted comfort and lies.

"I'll talk to you later."

"Percy, don't you think about cutting me off, I swear I'll -"

He moved his hand through the connection, the rainbow edges separating and falling like a mist. There was a chance that Annabeth would come and kill him in the night, but he wasn't feeling up to caring. Perhaps a murderous daughter of Athena wouldn't be so bad. No bodily damages that she could cause could make him feel worse.

Leaning back, his feet propping up on the coffee table, the light from the window behind him shined a spotlight on the table and the scenery of the last puzzle him and Nico worked. It was amazing that they were able to finish as many as they did - mostly because of Nico's talent.

Percy stared at the colors, the dark water of the canal, and the long boat with a hazy man holding an extra long oar. Tall and colorful buildings lined the tourist-like and romantic attraction.

It came to him suddenly.

Italy.

Nico was in Italy.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

The next day Percy left a note for his mother, took his backpack and traveled to Camp Half-Blood. The campers were excited to see him, hugging him, patting him on the back. They asked him a slew of questions as to why he hadn't come around more often. Percy gave a half-shrug and gave excuses that he was busy. It was all a lie. If he told them that he had escaped the Underworld once more then he would get a bigger reputation than the one he had and the gods may strike him down for hubris.

He deeply inhaled the strawberry scent of the camp. He thought of games of Capture the Flag, of fighting in the arena and meeting Thalia, and standing up to Clarisse by flooding the toilets. The Camp with its controlled weather, its hijinks never failed to lift his spirits. But there was a missing piece, the boy who cracked open a platform, releasing skeletons from the earth to attack him.

Near the volleyball courts stood the centaur Chiron, his arms crossed over his wide chest. Percy approached him with a false smile.

"Percy, it's been a while."

Percy nodded to his old mentor. "I was thinking I could help out in the arena today and take Blackjack to New Rome tomorrow."

Chiron observed him. "What is bothering you?"

If he couldn't trust Chiron then the whole camp was doomed. He told him the bare bones of the story, how Nico had tried to help him, how they figured someone was after him, and how he made a deal with the Goddess of the Underworld.

Chiron listened, nodding and running his hand over his goatee. "That was a bold action," he said after Percy finished.

"I know."

"If I may inquire, is the reason for your moving to New Rome is to be near Ms. Levesque?"

That was a talent of Chiron: Seeing through things. Percy suspected that after you live for a few thousand years, it was bound to happen. He was frequently surprised how Chiron never tired of teaching them and surprised that he voiced his thoughts at all. It wasn't often that he spoke what he was thinking. Due to the nature of knowing the prophecies made, he had to keep a lot of secrets from the camp.

"Yes, sir," he answered.

"Because you suspect that he will be there to visit his sister?"

"He will – sooner or later."

Silence fell as they reached the Big House. Chiron clomped up the steps before turning to him. "I'll make you a deal, Percy. If you stay for three days training the new kids, then I will allow you to take Blackjack. Three full days, understand?"

It was the cheapest option, it's not like he had the money for a flight across the country, and there was no way to track Nico down when he could travel much faster than Percy. Blackjack was his only option.

"It's a deal," he said.

"Fantastic. You can start now." His tail swayed as he made his way into the Big House.

Percy didn't look into the Poseidon Cabin, he opened the door and threw his backpack in and then went straight to the arena. There were kids who must have been in their pre-teens were fighting with swords too large for their size. Two black-haired children were there their weapons clashing clumsily, each strike sending them several steps back. Percy stood back and watched for a good ten minutes when the boy called quits, rubbing his sore shoulder.

The girl giggled. "Can't take anymore, brother?"

Percy jumped up on the platform. "That's enough. I'm your instructor for the next few days."

"Who are you," the bold little girl asked with a sneer plastered to her otherwise pretty face.

"Percy Jackson."

The boy's head shot up. "You're _the_ Percy Jackson? Wow. I've heard all about you!"

Percy quietly looked him over feeling like Ares had punched him in the stomach. The boy with his wild hair and wide quizzical eyes looked much like Nico when he was that age. He almost expected the kid to take out a thick deck of Mythomagic cards, rattling off about point systems. It almost changed his mind, to go back to the empty apartment and forget finding Nico, but at the same time, remembering that innocence made him want to try. He flipped his sword, pumping himself up.

"Let's get to work."

"I can't," the boy groaned. "I'm sore."

He knelt closer to the boy's level. "What's your name?"

"Rick."

"Okay, Rick, you'll have to push yourself while you're here. Monsters are not going to call for a break. Come on, give me your best shot." He stood, tapping his chest with the flat of his sword.

Rick lifted his weapon and half-way through his arch he let go of the hilt. The sword skidded off the platform into the grass. The crowd watching (most of them his age) roared with laughter and Rick looked to be on the verge of tears.

"Hey! That was a good try." Percy retrieved the weapon, handing it out to him. "Try again. This time, don't let go, tighten your grip."

Rick beamed at him, much in that starstruck way that Nico once had. Percy put that to the side, readying himself for what happened to be another flying sword arcing its way over Percy's head.

"Again," he said, going back to get the weapon.

* * *

The day ended quickly for Percy. He skipped dinner and the nightly songs around the campfire. Instead of participating in the things that he normally would've enjoyed, he went to the lake. He laid back in the tall grass, his feet soaking in the water. The stars above shined more brightly at the camp than it did in the city. They were countless, sprinkled like glitter over a child's drawing.

"Percy." Annabeth's head came into view before she lied beside him, her legs up away from the water. "Where's Nico?"

"He left." There was that hallow feeling, stretching itself open like a yawn threatening to swallow him. He tried not to let that show.

"You told me," she said. "Where is he?"

"Last I checked, Italy."

"Italy? He was born there, right?"

"Yes."

She touched the back of his hand, her piercing eyes boring into his, making him uncomfortable. "Percy, what's wrong?"

"I made a promise I shouldn't have."

"Oh, tell me you didn't break his heart?"

Genuinely, he smiled at her, only slightly annoyed at the protectiveness she had over the son of the dead, but most of all, he appreciated it. More people should have cared for Nico the way that they did.

"Seaweed brain, tell me you didn't..."

His smile faded. "I didn't mean to. It... Sorry. I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay..." She looked around, but there was nothing to see but the distant naiads at the edge of the water grooming their long hair. "Do you want company?"

He turned his palm up, enjoying the heat of her next to him, the way her fingers slid between his. It was familiar and comforting. "Yeah," he said, "stay."

Percy didn't know where the time passed, but he woke to Annabeth sleeping beside him. She looked like a goddess, the way her hair covered portions of her face, the even rising of her chest. He almost hated to wake her, but her wrath would be worse if she woke to find him staring.

"Annabeth," he whispered, prodding her shoulder.

She opened her eyes, taking in the lake and the risen moon, realizing how long they may have been lying there. The naiads were gone. "Oh." She struggled to her feet, Percy lending an arm that she didn't take.

They said nothing more to each other and parted ways, barely conscious. Percy stopped on his way, rubbing his eyes. When he opened them it was an onslaught of green flickering. He was standing in front of an obsidian cabin, the cabin for the Hades' children. In the case for Hades, it was for Nico.

Percy shouldn't have gone in. There were rules about going into a cabin (besides Hermes) that wasn't yours. But he simply didn't care. Nothing worse could happen - not in the camp.

Green light illuminated the inside, playing tricks with shadows giving an eerie sense that the occupant wasn't alone. It was a warm night, the days growing close to summer, but the obsidian stone dropped the temperature drastically. Percy was shivering, his teeth chattering. He had one foot out the door when he saw something peaking out of a pillow. Percy slid out a photo.

The picture had been taken after the last war. Nico and Reyna and many of other campers had come to help with defeating Gaia. The chosen seven plus Nico escaped the festivities that day to be together. They were standing in front of a white Greek building, the sun making it shine brilliantly. In front from left to right was Jason, Leo, Piper, Hazel, Frank, Annabeth, Percy and Nico. It was a sudden photo and no one chose any particular place to stand. They all gathered together, except Nico who chose to stand away from Percy, but Percy hadn't been deterred that day, his hand reaching over to grasp Nico's shoulder.

Percy ran his finger down the edge of the photo. He hadn't known that Nico had a copy since he hadn't wanted to be in it. Seeing it there, the look on Nico's face, Percy wondered how he could have been so dumb as to not have seen it before. There it was, glaringly obvious how Nico felt from the beginning, and he was right about Percy's selfishness. He was too wrapped up in Annabeth and the quest to have ever paid attention to him.

It wasn't the shattered glass of his eyes, nor was it the skin and bones that he was. It was the frown set in, one that reached into his guts and swirled them around. Percy couldn't have imagined how hard it was for him and Percy hadn't made it any easier. Guilt were stones in his stomach, his heart feeling like lead.

Folding the picture in half, Percy stuck it in his pocket, and shut the door with a final click. Instantly, he could breathe, the heavy weight of the darkness in that cabin had lifted, but not the guilt.

Tall Hellenic pillars beside the doors reminiscent of his father's underwater palace. Inside, the basin of water created blue-white ripples over the ceiling and walls, as peaceful as it always had been. It appeared untouched; Tyson had apparently not been there or he had done a bang-up-job of cleaning it. Then again, maybe he had. Percy was sure he hadn't left it so clean. He expected to be hit with the scent of must, but it smelled like... Lemons. Yeah, Tyson had definitely been there.

He stared at the basin of water in the corner, being tempted of trying once more to send Nico an Iris message, but Chiron was keeping him from Camp Jupiter for a reason. Perhaps they both needed space even if it was the last thing that Percy wanted. He had enough space from Nico through their years, now he wanted to make up for lost time. They had just found each other, losing him was unbearable.

Trusting Chiron, he laid in his bed, finding sleep hard to catch.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Percy rolled out of bed after another sleepless night, stumbling to the basin. He stared at the water and the small rainbow it splayed across the wall. He picked up a drachma, clutching securely in his hand. Turning it over in his fingers, he saw the figure of Zeus standing soberly upon it. He moved his thumb over it.

Percy considered his chances. They weren't high, but he was desperate. He needed to see his face. He chucked the coin into the rainbow, and prayed that it would work.

An image floated through the rainbow. Percy's throat constricted.

On a bunk bed Nico sat with his back facing Percy, and in front of him was Jason. Jason's eyes flickered to Percy, but back to Nico whose hand was dabbing at his own eyes as if he was crying. That thought send a knife through Percy's chest.

"Think you can forgive him," Jason asked, squinting at the smaller boy, purposefully not giving Percy a glance.

Nico's shoulders heaved, a quiet sob breaking through. The knife twisted. Jason's jaw twitched angrily, but Hazel had come running into the scope, her cinnamon brown hair obstructing Percy's view for a moment as she threw her arms around her brother. Nico allowed it as he only would from Hazel.

"Nico," she whispered, "there's more than one way to be happy. And you were happy with him. It's not forever, it's only a little while, so forgive him. It's your fatal flaw, Nico, you can't let this destroy you."

Nico shook harder than ever. Hazel then turned to Percy, her normally beautiful gold eyes became as hard and cold as the cursed stones she pulled from the ground. She swiped the connection closed, the scene dissolving into mist.

Percy stared at his abalone wall for a long time, confused by what he had witnessed, but he needed more than ever to see Nico.

He excited quickly out of the cabin bumping right into Annabeth. He grabbed her arms to keep themselves from toppling over.

She gave him a broad grin, pushing his hands away from her. "It's been three days," she stated.

He stifled a yawn. He should have felt more excited, but he was nauseated. It may be the day that he saw Nico and there was a good chance that he would leave again, and if he did, Percy wouldn't follow. He made himself that promise in the interest of Nico.

"Have you been waiting," he asked her.

"It coincided nicely. I chose Logan this morning. He's very happy, seems to have plans for the cabin. He's a hard worker so I'm hoping the others can keep up."

"That's nice," he yawned.

"Come, let's get breakfast."

"Together?" He was still unsure of the rules of their new status. Percy had grown accustomed to hugging and kissing Annabeth, to trying to be romantic with her. It really wasn't as hard as he was making it sound, but no longer doing those things felt like something was missing from them. It appeared that Annabeth wasn't in a quandary over it. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing.

She held up a purple backpack. "I took some food from the Mess Hall so we can eat by the lake. I was thinking I could go on Blackjack with you. We can arrive there together. It'll surprise Hazel and Frank."

It may not have been the best decision on Percy's part to travel with her. After all, it was one of the things that Nico yelled at him for, but he didn't want to be alone. Annabeth had been a sort of comfort to him ever since he first came to Camp Half-Blood, allowing him to feel less alone. It helped that her intelligence had kept him alive otherwise he would've never met Nico to begin with.

They ate their breakfast in silence, watching the satyrs flirt with the pretty naiads. For once, the didn't pay Percy any mind. He wondered if he still smelled like Nico - like death.

"Piper told me what happened."

"Piper?"

"Um, Nico to Hazel, Hazel to Piper, and now to me. You know how these sort of things travel."

Percy shook his head. "And you have advice." It wasn't a question.

"I don't mean to lecture you, Percy, but do you know what you have done to Nico?"

"I know exactly what I've done to him."

"Percy... Nico is the only one that is allowed access to his parent's palace. Hazel can't even go. You've only been once to your father's, I've never seen my mother's and you know how much time I spent in Olympus. Nico, it was probably all he felt he had. And that's gone, because the man he trusted most made a bargain for his own life."

"I get it. I'm a terrible person."

"You're not a terrible person, Percy, you're just incredibly myopic."

"Is that another way of saying that I'm a moron?"

"Kind of..."

"I'm not stopping him from returning there, even if it ends my life."

"He would never do that to you, and you know it."

"I don't know what else to do," he responded sharply. It was the exact reason he didn't want to tell Annabeth. For some reason, the moment that Nico saved her changed her perception of him, and she acted as an older sister. Because that was exactly what Nico needed - another sister.

"Do you think this is a good idea," she added. "If you hurt Nico again he will never trust anyone. He'll die alone. It's not like last time when he was being held captive. He's left this time. Maybe it's for the best."

"Nico's used to no one wanting him. This is the best way to show him that I do."

"You're not the only one that cares for him. I do, Jason, and Frank, and Leo in his own way. Most of all Hazel. Nico's not alone."

Percy shook his head, feeling misunderstood. "That's different. They're his friends, his sister."

She studied him in the way that Annabeth did, quiet and distant, familiar to Chiron. "And what are the two of you?"

Percy lost himself in the ripples of the water as a blond naiad vanished underneath. "I love him."

He looked to her. She wasn't quick enough to hide her reaction, the creases of her slate eyes gave when she was hurt. She recovered, and nodded, stuffing the rest of her sandwich in her bag.

"I'm sorry, Annabeth. I didn't mean -"

"You know what, Percy, I don't mind. We should have never mistaken security for love. What hurts is what this is doing to you and Nico."

"It was a mistake."

"A costly mistake, seaweed brain. What are you going to do if he doesn't want you? Keep chasing him?"

"I'll let him go."

Annabeth pursed her lips and leaned on his side. "That's very brave of you. If it means anything, I wouldn't accept your apology."

"Gee, thanks, wise girl. Whatever would I do without your opinion?"

"You wouldn't be facing this problem and I'd still be stuck with you." She winked. "Ready to go?"

He had never been more ready to leave the sanctuary of the camp. He stood and fingers between his lips he blew a high-pitched whistle.

High above their heads against the bright blue sky was what looked to be a Pegasus shaped cloud descending toward them. Percy grabbed Annabeth's arm, tugging her away from Blackjack's landing point.

Blackjack neighed, pawing at the ground, stirring up loose dirt. "Wassup, boss? Long time no - whoa! You smell, boss! What is that? A new cologne or have you been hanging with corpses?"

Percy frowned. "It's somebody else's scent."

"That is a strong stench there, boss, you may wanna take a shower!"

He fished in his pocket, taking out a sugar cube. "One right now and another when you take Annabeth and I to Camp Jupiter."

"To those Romans?" He neighed angrily.

"Okay, three sugar cubes."

"Gotcha, boss. Come on aboard!" Blackjack bowed, Percy swinging his foot over his back. He gave a hand to Annabeth, her climbing behind him, flush against him, her arms constricting around his waist. He tried not to think of it. He patted the Pegasus' neck.

"Hold on," he warned.

Blackjack ran right toward the lake, taking flight before they were emerged. His wings rhythmically beat on their thighs, soaring upward to the sun. Percy howled into the sky, Annabeth laughing joyfully behind him.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

It was only noon, but they stopped in Nebraska. Percy was being overly cautious, but didn't want to overextend Blackjack, especially as the winds had been less than kind. He guessed that Zeus was in a bad mood, but Percy didn't mind as long as he was not being blamed for it.

Blackjack was thankful for the break. He took another sugar cube and flew up to the hotel roof to sleep. Percy hoped it was a long nap because he planned to make it all the way to California the next day. He had been away from Nico long enough, the distance painful.

Annabeth ordered them a room while he went straight to the outdoor pool. It was not a huge one, the deep end only five feet, but it would have to make due. Clothes on, he sunk himself at the bottom where he sat, allowing jeans and shirt to soak.

The water was colder than it should have been, more chlorine than he would have preferred, but that wasn't what bothered him. It was the way that the water would heal any physical wounds he obtained through quests or sparring but it did nothing for emotional ones. If Nico didn't accept his apology, if he turned his back to him again, those wounds would only deepen, salt into his bloodstream. Percy, was once again, being an idiot. He realized he was going to the wrong way about everything.

He peered up, through the ripples his movements caused he saw Annabeth above him, the light of the streetlamps illuminating her. Reluctantly, he swam up, climbing on the edge. She sat beside him and took his hand into her lap.

Percy looked over to his childhood friend and he memorized her - really memorized her. The way her eyes became far-off when she dreamt up structures for grand buildings and sights, her eyes the color of steel; the way her blond hair curled, the freckle by her left eye, the way she wrote on Percy's hand when it was between hers. She was brave and smart, and kind... Everything about Annabeth was beautiful.

"I'm leaving." Percy hadn't realized he said that out loud, but it was true. He knew the answer to fix the entire problem. It wouldn't get Nico back, but it wasn't about that anymore. He simply had to set things right, and there was only one way to do that.

"What," Annabeth asked, suddenly looking back at him.

"I'm going to leave."

"You sound like him: Running away when things get tough."

He shrugged, "I can't stay here. I need a fresh start."

"Percy," she said, his name on her tongue frightful and careful, "this doesn't sound like you."

"I kinda made the decision now."

"That's dumb."

"Thanks for sparing my feelings," he said sarcastically, his favorite brand of speech.

"You can't just leave. What about your mother?"

"I'm not a kid anymore. She's fine, she's married now. She's happy."

"Where will you go?"

"Anywhere," he lied. "It doesn't matter."

"It matters, Percy."

He smiled at her, squeezing her hand. "Look, maybe a little running away is what I need right now. It's not like I get vacations."

"You're a demigod, this is the life we lead."

He kissed her forehead. "I'll miss you."

Tears welled up, blurring the now-stormy eyes. "I'll miss you, too."

He balled her curls in his fist and brought her to his shoulder. The knife that had been embedded in his chest since the last Iris message dug in to the hilt, making it hard to breathe.

"This is _stupid_ of you," she spat.

He grinned. "What's one more person I love mad at me?"

"Shut up, Percy," she sniffed.

Pressing his lips to the top of her head, he lingered, inhaling the the scent of her cherry blossom shampoo. He would miss her most of all.

When Annabeth had cried all the tears she could shed, she pushed him back into the pool. His knees skinned, but healed so quickly he hadn't taken notice. He swam to the top, laughing at her stomping away from him.

He lifted himself out, following her through ugly floral hallways up to their second story room. He paused when they stepped through. The door slammed behind him, the click of the lock finalized his confusion and terror.

"Um, Annabeth, why is there one bed?"

"It was all they had left," she said, kicking off her tennis shoes.

"There isn't a couch, you know."

"You can sleep in the same bed with me, it's not a big deal."

Percy begged to differ, but Annabeth had shut the bathroom door, the faucet of the bathtub kicking on. Percy stared at the bed in horror, but at the same time he didn't want to sleep on the floor. So he stripped his clothing, keeping on his boxers. He paused only once more in his uncertainty before he got in bed.

Minutes later, Percy felt the covers move off of him. Having had fallen asleep, he almost forgot where he was and who he was with. Roughly he yanked the covers back to him, rolling over to the other side, where he came face to face with Annabeth.

"I'll take the top cover if you take the bottom."

"Annabeth," he sighed, realizing how close their faces were. He stared at her pink lips. "There's something you should know..."

"What is it?"

"I'm not gay."

"Does Nico know," she smirked.

He rolled his eyes. "I mean -"

"I know what you mean, Percy. In ancient Greece -"

"Not a history lesson," he groaned.

Annabeth playfully slapped his shoulder, stinging the skin. "Fine, now you'll never know."

Percy's hand rested in the space between them. He was a short distance from her, he could feel her heat, the fresh scent of her hair and skin.

She touched his lips, her visage going distant again as she thought a million things at once. This time, she didn't say a word.

"I don't think we should be doing this," he mumbled, half-hoping that she didn't hear him.

Annabeth lunged forward, her fevered lips planting themselves on his, her hand placing itself on his chest. She moved her body until it was flushed against his, and he could feel her thin t-shirt, her bare and smooth legs. His brain froze until it snapped and melted to fog.

Whatever was right or wrong about it, he wanted contact, he wanted to forget. He was going to leave and maybe he wanted something on him that wasn't Nico, to erase the death, for prints to cover his. He already had guilt and shame, what was a little more? Maybe he wanted to self-destruct.

Percy's hand snaked its way to her waist, pulling her even closer, screwing his eyes even tighter shut as he moved her leg over his, feeling the elastic of the underwear she wore, moving up until he was under her shirt, over her bare back, his fingers running down her spine, then up, grabbing a hold of her shoulder like a life line as his tongue gained access to her mouth, warm and soft.

She moaned when he moved her under him, pressing their hips together, making her feel what she was doing to him, looking down at her and her hair that was splayed about the pillows like a halo. Like an angel. But not his angel.

"Percy..." Her fingers grazed his cheeks. "What is it?"

"I loved you," he said breathlessly. He didn't know where it came from, why he was ruining what he wanted so desperately. He did want her.

Annabeth held his face. "I know."

"Then why can't we start over? It wasn't all Aphrodite, was it?"

Her hands fell. "Aphrodite?"

"I had a dream. She told me she was the cause of the two of us."

"I'm sure she was," she growled.

Percy rolled off of her. "She doesn't have to have the last word. It could be right between us. Couldn't it?"

"It would be easy. Maybe it would feel like we had never broke up, and if I didn't know that you love Nico more than you could ever love me, I'd let it happen. But it doesn't change anything."

He turned over on his side toward her. "I can't go back to New Rome."

Her eyes became wide. "What happened was not a big deal. Percy, you have to find him."

"No, I don't. This isn't what Nico wants, I'm again doing what I want. I'm being selfish. He was right about me."

"I know you, Percy. You're following your heart like you always do. That's not a bad thing."

"You can fly Blackjack the rest of the way."

"What are you going to do here?"

"I'll figure something out."

Annabeth opened her mouth, but Percy shook his head. "Don't. I'll be fine. Let's go to sleep." He turned his back to her, and shut his eyes, although he felt like he was far from sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

Percy woke to an empty bed and Annabeth's taste in his mouth. If it hadn't been for that and his surroundings, he could have sworn that last night didn't happen, but the nightmare had been true.

The shower, getting dressed, finding a smashed sandwich in his backpack to eat, was all done numbly. He only thought of how he was going to find the entrance to Hades. There was one in California, but he had no desire to go there anymore. He'd make the journey back to New York to find that stone, he'd just have to sing, or maybe a CD of Ed Sheeran would suffice.

He checked his wallet for money for the buses only to find that there wasn't much left. He'd have to come to a solution later. He returned the key to the front desk and walked out to the parking lot to see that instead of a car in a parking space there was a black Pegasus.

"Heya, boss. Ready to go?!"

"Blackjack? What're you doing here?"

"What're you talking about? Why wouldn't I be here?"

Percy inwardly cursed himself. Of course Annabeth wasn't going to take Blackjack, she was probably taking buses to California, knowing very well that Percy had no money to get out of the state. He hated that he couldn't give her his last gift, but he couldn't deny that it would make his journey much easier.

"You ready for a trip," he asked, patting his side.

"California, boss!"

"No, New York. I'll tell you where to land when we get there." He knew that there was no way that Blackjack was going to land near the entrance to Hades, but he could get him close.

"Gotcha, boss!"

Percy climbed on board, and Blackjack ran, gaining speed and flying upwards until the buildings became the size of Legos. Percy laid his head on Blackjack's mane, the wind pushing against them as they traveled slowly over the state. He shivered from the cold, his jacket doing little to protect his skin, but sleep came anyway.

_Jason sat across from Piper at a nice white cafe table with tiny cups of brown liquid. It seemed to have been a date, but ended abruptly when Hazel ran up, clearly frazzled. She placed her hands on the cafe table, interrupting their conversation, something that Hazel would have never normally done._

_"Good," she exclaimed, "you're still here."_

_"We're here for a month until Jason ties some loose ends. You okay," Piper asked._

_"Where's my brother?"_

_"I dunno."_

_"Think! Did he say anything?"_

_"Nico doesn't say much," Jason said fairly. "What's the matter?"_

_Hazel looked up, Nico approaching them from out of a shop. He was counting drachma in his hand, but when he saw his sister's worried face, he looked to only her, stuffing the rest of his money in his pocket. "What's wrong?"_

_"Annabeth Iris messaged me to say that Percy was leaving. I don't understand it, but it means something. It has to or Annabeth wouldn't have sent me an Iris message to tell me."_

_Nico first bristled, but said, "that doesn't sound like Percy."_

_"Annabeth said the same thing."_

_"What's that," Jason asked._

_"Percy wouldn't travel by himself unless he had to," Nico answered._

_"Maybe he needed some space," Piper suggested. "Leo's doing it."_

_"Leo's looking for Calypso," Hazel said. "Annabeth seems to think she knows where Percy's going."_

_Jason tapped his fingers on his cup. "I don't know Percy well, but what does he do when he makes a mistake?"_

_Nico's expression became grave as he worked it out. "He fixes it. At least he tries to." He shook his head. "Fall is here. I can't go down there, if I did, I'd kill him."_

"_Where," Hazel asked, "Hades?"_

"_Yes."_

"_I can go. I"ll stop him," Hazel volunteered._

_"No," Nico snapped, "if you're caught, you're dead, too. You're not supposed to be alive, remember?"_

_"We can let Percy try," Jason suggested, receiving horrified glares from Hazel and Piper. "He's gotten out of there before. How hard can it be?"_

_"With a lot of help and luck. He wouldn't... Survive, if he went on his own. There are too many creatures that want him dead and my father isn't fond of him. Persephone won't be either when she finds out why he's there."_

_Hazel added, "last time he faced Hades he got locked up and that was only because of Nico and Persephone's insistence that he stayed alive. It was Nico who got him out of that cell."_

_"Then I'll have to get him out again."_

_"Nico," Hazel protested, "you said that you can't without killing Percy."_

_"I'll try to find him before he goes in."_

_"If you can't," Jason questioned._

_"I have to." Nico walked away._

_Hazel leaned against Piper, who slowly stroked her arm, Jason taking his girlfriend's hand._

Percy woke to the towering buildings of New York, flying over the small patch of a park that held the entrance to the Underworld. He smiled, his dream now a distant memory. It was fuzzy, he couldn't remember it. His stomach growled, hinted at how long it had been since he last ate, but it was little comfort for it became colder, biting at his exposed skin.

The sky was darkening. He watched the sunset from Blackjack's back as he descended to the earth. When he landed, he patted his back, shaking as his feet returned to solid ground.

"Thanks."

"Where're you going now, boss?"

"Home."

He clicked his hoof to the pavement of the sidewalk. "See ya then, boss. Keep it cool!"

Percy waited until Blackjack was out of his sight, and the sun had disappeared beyond the horizon. Then he set off to the rock, his hands in his pockets, shielding himself from the little warmth he gained from being on ground again.

There was the rock, untouched since the last time he was there. It was only then that he understood it would be his fist time in the Underworld. There wouldn't be anyone to help him, to save him. Not that time.

He sat himself beside it. He cringed, as he started to sing, then snapped his mouth shut. That wasn't right. He wished he had some instrument like a guitar that he could fake playing with. It didn't have to be _good_ music, right? If that was the case Percy was never returning to the Underworld without going back to California. He didn't desire to spend three more days at Camp Half-Blood to take a second trip there.

Thinking of the commercial he often saw at t.v. back at his mother's apartment, he began to sing, quietly at first, feeling foolish. "Let the rain wash away... All the pain of yesterday... I know my kingdom awaits, and they've forgiven my mistakes... I'm coming home... I'm coming home... Tell the world I'm coming..."

The rock split open, revealing its slippery stairs to darkness. _So it didn't have to be good music,_ he thought to himself.

Percy stood shakily, feeling for Riptide in his pocket. He stepped in, the cold air rushing past him, straight through his jacket. If he lived through it, he would have to buy himself something thicker.

He was a few steps down when something slammed down on his shoulder, jerking him back. Percy regained his footing, Riptide out and ready to strike.

"Nico..."

Nico stood in front of him, hands up in mock surrender.

Percy uncapped Riptide, returning the pen to his pocket. He wanted to run at him, but he kept his stance. "What are you doing here?"

"To stop you. Annabeth had a feeling what you were up to."

"I'll fix this," he promised earnestly.

"Not everything is fixable. You go in there, you die. There are no other options for you."

"This is all I can do. Maybe they kill me, but they could allow you back in for good."

"It's not worth it if they take you in its place. You're not a bargaining chip."

"This was my fault."

"Yes, it is."

"Then get out of my way."

"You said you'd never have me wait again for you. I'm not waiting to see you every summer when you're nothing but a ghost and I'm not waiting for me to die to be with you. I was mad at you, Percy, but it wasn't forever, you don't have to do this."

"This isn't to prove anything to you. It's the right thing to do."

"The right thing is to stay with me."

"You weren't around. For all I knew you were never coming back."

"I was coming back. I'm back now."

"So you can leave and come back and think you get everything you want?"

"Never." Nico lowered his hands, shuffling to him. "I promise you, I'll never leave like that again."

"How do I know you're telling the truth?"

"Do you know what happened in my death trance?"

He shook his head, "no. You don't talk about it."

"I smelled salt – the ocean. I was being submerged in it. I dreamt that you were coming for me. I saw you coming to save me."

Percy shivered, fearing the things that Nico saw in that trance, but he did his best to hide his emotions. Like Nico so many times in conversations, he didn't respond. He hoped he looked as cold as Nico had, but he doubted it. Only he could pull off a glacial look and he was wearing him down. The idea of going to the Underworld seemed dumber than it did an hour ago. But was it, really? Nico was there... His stupidity once again got him exactly what he needed.

He must have saw the moment of weakness, because Nico grabbed the front of his orange shirt kissing his lips fiercely, leaving Percy breathless.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

McDonald wrappers littered the coffee table with half-empty Styrofoam cups; Nico's strapped combat boots and Percy's sneakers were a hazard by the door, but the best was Nico leaning against Percy's chest, fiddling with his skull ring, turning it around and around. A perfect moment.

"Do you hate me," Percy asked with contrition, the question burning him for the past two hours.

"I blame my father. It's not the worst, though, I could've been banned all year long. At least I can be down there for a few months out of the year, but what's the point when you're up here? Maybe it's for the best. My father won't ask me to be his second hand now. I have more time to myself."

Percy scooted down, his mouth closer to his ear, gripping his inner thigh. "You can come to Camp Half-Blood. You have a cabin there, you'll have it all to yourself."

"I don't belong there. You know that."

"You've never tried, Nico."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "You don't see how they treat me. No one wants to be near the son of Hades. The Underworld was my home. Now no one wants me."

"I want you."

Nico quieted, spinning his skull ring faster. Then, "you want me. Good. Because I'm not going anywhere without you again."

Percy felt the frayed edge of the leg of his jeans. "How about New Rome? Your sister's there."

"I'll see my sister anytime I want. Shadow-travel, remember? No, I don't want to be there either."

"Fine." He caressed his thigh. "Then we'll get our own place. Where do you want to live?"

"Didn't you mention that you were going back to Camp Half-Blood?"

"Plans change. I don't want to go if you're not coming with me."

Nico chuckled a dark sound like the gallows. "Then what are we going to do?"

"I say we get our own place. We can stay right here in New York. I can work at the aquarium and you can work in a graveyard or something."

Nico shoved his foot with his own. "Funny, Percy." He was silent for a while. "I like the idea of staying here, but I'm not working in a graveyard."

"Then what?"

"Ah, maybe I'll become a mortician."

"Cheery," he deadpanned.

Nico leaned his back against Percy's shoulder, his breath smelling strongly of salty french fries. "Is this what you want? This?"

"Yes."

He smiled, but something was lost. Percy, having issues with his own parentage recognized it immediately.

"Try not to hate your dad too much. Gods don't think like us." That was what his mother told him once when he resented his own father. It made sense when she said it, but it sounded insane when Percy used those words. He supposed that he didn't believe them the way that she did. His mother probably hadn't always felt that way to the god that abandoned her. She likely said it over and over until she bought her own story. It was a gift of peace.

"Maybe they should," Nico muttered, placing the ring back on. It suited him.

Percy kissed him. "At least we have each other, angel."

"As long as I have you, soldato."

"You'll never not have me."

While Nico felt less kind to the Gods, it was Percy who realized that if it wasn't for the Gods, he wouldn't have Nico. It was the best gift death could have given.


End file.
